Red Tide
by Delu
Summary: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rated T for poké-death and mild language. Based in Pokemon RSE games.
1. Press Start

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rated T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Prologue:**

Snap on the Game Boy Advance, turn up the music, skip through the intro.

It was a routine I'd become all too familiar with in the past six years; my right thumb had a knee-jerk response to click the A button as many times as needed until the Pokémon logo appeared and a silhouette of Kyogre set against navy appeared behind it. I pressed A again and three choices appeared.

_Continue._ A list of stats from my finished game was after that; name, PokéDex count, etc. I flipped passed it.

New game.

Options.

I highlighted new game and my thumb once again auto-pressed A. I quickly flipped through Birch's "Intro to Pokémon" to get to the beginning of my character sheet for the game.

Male or female? _Female._

Name? _Lucy._

_Let the games begin_, I thought as my screen blanked out again.

* * *

**A/N:** Heh... yeah, so I'm sure that my previous readers (probably either fans of _Never After_, or _Fell Too Far_) are probably cursing me out for starting up a new fic but... yeah, I have no excuse other than the fact my Muses for those have run off somewhere. Sorry!

Now, to my new Pokémon readers: thank you for taking an interest in my fic! I got the idea from the internet-famous Nuzlocke Comic Challenge. (for details, visit Nuzlocke dot com). But, I am not the worlds greatest drawer and so I reformed the Challenge into _this_. For further details, read Chapter One... (or review and/or PM me if you need more explanation than that). Otherwise, enjoy. I look forward to the reviews I may or may not get.


	2. First Fight

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rated T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter One:**

_Ugh, my head,_ I thought as I came to consciousness.

I opened my eyes – or, at least, I thought I did. I was surrounded by darkness and the ground was rumbling and bumping beneath me like aftershocks of an earthquake, tossing me into something hard and yet soft. My face caught on a corner of whatever it was after a particularly rough throw and I got a whiff of the distinct odor cardboard gave off. _What the…?_ Sure enough, I palmed my hand over the box and the grainy texture matched what my olfactory senses were telling me. _Cardboard boxes, moving floor,_ I noted a faint tang of gasoline in the back of my throat and it registered – _moving truck_. Relief brushed my consciousness briefly as I realized where exactly I was before the questions of _how _and _why_ rushed forth. Then came, _where on _Earth_ am I?_ Was I still in the US or Canada or another continent all together?

At first, my paranoia sprang forth and a thousand and one frightening scenarios crossed my mind. Kidnappers, the mafia, child pornography ring, psychopath looking for some sort of sadistic thrill… they all zigzagged behind my blank eyes before some semblance of rationality took over from the smallest part of my brain.

Firstly, who on earth would want to kidnap _me_, of all people? I told myself. I had an unmatched set of divorced parents, five siblings, and a partially finished college education. Panic swept me as I realized I was supposed to start semester again on Monday and how was I going to do that if some someone was holding me for ransom? I mentally slapped myself. _No one kidnapped you, there's no reason to freak out. Now, think of what else could've happened_, my inner self rationalized. The kidnapping/ransom thing was thrown out so I could eliminate the mafia. I could go ahead and erase "child porn kidnapping" from my mind too, because 19 isn't really child age. Psychopath… well, I'd put that at the back of my mind in the box labeled "unmentionable"; denial isn't just a river in Egypt.

So what happened?

I closed my eyes – I felt them close, so I know I'm not just flat-out blind – and tried to concentrate on something other than the crazy thoughts still zooming through my head and push pass my emerging headache. Before I blacked out – I assumed that's what had happened, because I don't remember going to sleep (though, at the moment, I don't remember much of anything) – I was brushing my teeth. No, after that. I got changed for bed, turned off my computer, flipped my TV over to my favorite late night movie channel (they were playing a movie marathon in honor of Friday the Thirteenth) and then… Nothing. No, no, not nothing. I was restless, my body didn't want to sleep so I grabbed my Game Boy Advance.

I gaped.

_That's it!_

It all clicked in my head – the fact that I'd gone through the intro to my old Pokémon Sapphire and saved just before –

The door to the back of the moving truck opened and I was blinded by the intense noon light that shown in. At least, I assumed it was noon, as it always seemed to be in Hoenn, unlike the Johto era games where the light changed according to day and night. I blinked away the pain, for that's all I really could do, and looked at the figures that were moving around me, grabbing the (confirmed) cardboard boxes. I stared. For the last ten minutes, I had been debating where I was and how I'd gotten there; then, just as I figured out that I'd been thrown into my video game (I refused to think of that now, I'd do it when I wasn't surrounded by, uh, _people_ I didn't know) my 'shining light' appears as the opened latch to a moving van…

…only to scare me stupid with a pack of Machokes being ordered around by a short woman and a plump man with a receding hairline and worn overalls.

And, no, I'm not exaggerating. I was literally scared stupid by the sight, not only because I wasn't in Kansas anymore as Dorothy would say (nor did I have any magical ruby slippers), but at the live and real sight of the Pokémon. No matter how many hours I had ever played bent over my Game Boy screen, no matter how often I revisited my ancient VHSs of the anime, nor the few times I'd looked at Pokémon cards could prepare me for the sight. In a way, I was glad that the first pocket monster I'd laid eyes on was Machoke. It was as soft a transition I was going to get, I figured, since Machoke are probably the most humanoid looking creatures in the entire series.

I took a deep, somewhat calming breath just as the woman – my mother, if I was going by the game, and it seemed I was – turned away from the cozy looking two story house we were parked in front of.

"Honey, are you all right?" she asked and I was almost startled to hear the words instead of having text pop up beneath her. "Lucy?"

It finally registered that she was, in fact, speaking to me and that I ought to respond.

"Uh, yeah," I nodded, feeling ridiculously awkward talking to this person I didn't know but obviously knew me. "Long drive," I lied. She bought it with a nod of her head before pulling at my (apparently gloved) hand and pushing me through the front door of the house.

"Go set your clock," she ordered without removing her eyes from the TV she had plopped down in front of.

"Okay," I agreed, partially to get away from this strange lady and partially for some alone time to think.

I headed up the narrow staircase to the second floor, a little surprised (though I really shouldn't have been) that it held more than just a vast space that was my bedroom. Instead, there were three doors; one went to a bathroom, another a large bedroom decorated in shades of tan, and finally the familiar layout of 'my' room from the game. I decided to forgo immediately setting the clock, because if I _was_ following game plot line, which seemed likely, then the woman would come up and I would have no time to think. Instead, I sat upon my white-comforted bed, legs crossed, elbows on knees and chin in hands. I narrowed my green eyes in thought as I stared into space.

By now, I'd realized that one of three things could be happening:

First, I was dreaming. In all likelihood, this was what was going on. After all, I remember playing the game just before I passed out/fell asleep and my subconscious always gave me the craziest of dreams, especially when I hadn't been sleeping well of which was happening too often as of late. Between the stress of my final exam for my summer class, my upcoming forth semester, waiting for my scholarships to kick in, and my parents getting into screaming matches whenever one of them dropped off/picked up my younger siblings… it was really no wonder that my mind would supply a scenario as calming as Pokémon was to me.

The second thing that could be happening, and also the second most probable, was that I was going insane. For a reason I could probably pick any of the above stresses in my life, or mix and match them, or even defer to the psychiatric problems my father's side of the family has had in the past. I shudder to think that I was becoming anything like Great Aunt Frieda.

The last thing, and also the one thing that I was ninety-nine percent positive _wasn't_ happening, was that I was, for all intents and purposes, thrust into the world of Pokémon – my video game, specifically.

I let my mind lax for a few minutes, enjoying the silence and the stillness that this new world lacked. There were no trains to rattle the windows, no angry neighbors yelling at each other through too thin walls, no rotting stink of pollution. The only thing I could hear was the faint scuffling of the Pokémon putting things away and moving things around downstairs and the nearly nonexistent chirping of bugs. A funny thought came to my head just then: instead of cicadas outside in the trees there were probably Nincadas, buzzing with energy from leveling up or evolving or something. It sent a thrill towards my soul and I smiled.

_If this is a dream, then so be it. If I'm losing my mind, then so be it. If this is all truly happening… then what am I waiting for?_

I slipped off my bed and, for the first time, noticed just what I was wearing. It was the same style clothing as my character sprite from the game: the black shorts, the dual colored gloves, the white undershirt, and the red and black short sleeved jacket. The only difference was the material they were made of, as far as I could gather. The black shorts weren't bike shorts, made of polyester and stretch material, but some sort of light weight denim that I was glad to see breathed like it was Egyptian silk; the white undershirt was a plain cotton wife beater, familiar and welcome on my torso; the jacket was an amalgam of the two different materials – durable, yet soft like cotton, and form-fitting like the not-polyester shorts; the gloves were the same. I touched the top of my head and, sure enough, a bandana was placed over my short-cut hair. I brushed my long, black bangs out of my face and gave a cursory look around my room.

There wasn't much to look at, really, especially since we'd just moved in (and I would be moving out). The room was made up of blank walls, with the exception of that clock, my bed, a soft rug under my feet, a TV and Game Cube, and an already set up computer. _Quaint_, I thought before shrugging and walking over to the clock. _Here we go_. I took it off the wall and in a moment I had it set to 1.10 pm. Really, I made up the time, but something seemed to happen; the one window in the room had been lit with brilliant sunlight now had an overcast cloud blocking the star from view. Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked outside and let my mouth fall open. The world seemed… different, somehow; more realistic, possibly? There were clouds littering the sky and drifting lazily, obscuring what had been brilliant rays of light from view and casting marvelously shaped shadows upon the short grass that made the floor of the town. Again, there wasn't much to look at: a lot of trees surrounded the village that could only be a few football field lengths in area and a few people milling about; the most remarkable thing was the large building about half the town length away. I knew that it had to be Professor Birch's lab. Another small grin came to my eyes just as I heard The Woman coming upstairs.

"Honey!" she shouted at me even though I was only a few feet away. She had this crazy smile on her face and I was more than a tad concerned for my well being. She tugged on my hand and pulled us downstairs. "Look," she said enthusiastically, pushing me almost smack-dab into the TV set. "Your father's on the news!"

And it was true. I sort of recognized the man standing in front of a large, white building; he, too, looked different than the sprite version of the video game. But he had the same dark hair and serious air about him enough for this stranger to be Norman, my supposed father. On the other hand, there were things that were off about him: the set of his face or maybe the confusion in his eyes? Something just wasn't right. The show quickly changed over to a commercial (incidentally it was a public service announcement not to go into tall grass; astonishingly enough, the reason cited wasn't wild Pokémon as I expected, but a 'mysterious figure' was on the loose).

"Oh, would you look at that," The Woman (I certainly wasn't going to call her "Mom") said vaguely before pushing me out of the way of the screen and flipping the channel to what looked like a soap opera. "C'mon! I need you to go meet the neighbors! They don't know we're here yet!"

Her yelling was becoming bothersome (my headache had dulled but was far from gone) and it didn't really sit well with me. _I guess some things have to be different_ _from the game_, I mused as I was forcibly pushed out the door and toward the identical house across the way.

I was blind-sided though, by something I wholly didn't expect. At least, I hadn't thought it would happen _now_.

"Hey!" someone shouted from my right and pulled at my arm.

"I really wish people would stop doing that," I mumbled, mostly to myself, as I turned to my would-be assailant. He was a little thing with black hair and glasses that nearly covered the entirety of his panicking face. "Yes?"

"Help, you have to help! There's someone yelling out on Route 101!" he forced out through his red face before running us to the edge of town where a thicket of tall grass resided. I wanted to say something sarcastic to him (I had yet to meet someone who _didn't_ yell in this world), but just followed the boy. Sure enough, when we reached the path I could hear the hollering of a desperate man not far ahead. Out of instinct, and a thrilling spike of adrenaline at continuing the storyline of the game, I ran towards the voice until I came upon exactly who I thought I would: Prof. Birch. It was actually a pretty comical sight to see the stocky man struggling his way up a tree as a puppy of a Pokémon barked up at him.

"The bag!" he yelled as soon as he spotted me. "There are Pokémon in there – grab one and HELP ME!" he roared with his eyes wide and frightened.

I reached for the bag and pulled the same Pokéball I always did at the beginning of the game.

"Go, Pokéball!" I pronounced as I enlarged it with a push of the center button and I threw the now enlarged device into the air and towards the offending creature. A spark of white light was released and took the shape of something small and lumpy.

"Tor, torchic-ic!" the fire-bird Pokémon chirped as it danced on one leg before zeroing in on the Poochyena. "Torchic," it practically growled and I could see its eyes become alight with something fierce.

I could feel my grin and it was practically savage. I bit my lip to keep myself from being too hyped on my fantasy come to life. "Torchic, tackle!" I called as I clenched my hands. I vaguely realized that I had my left thumb pressing tightly to the left of my hand while my right one held down on the middle of my index finger. _Almost like I'm holding my Game Boy_, I thought. _Old habits die hard, I guess._ I pulled myself out of my thoughts to see the brilliantly orange and yellow Pokémon hopping around still and furrowed my brow. I didn't have long to think, though, as the Poochyena did his own tackle. My eyes widened when Torchic didn't evade and instead was slammed with all the force the wild Pokémon could exert.

"Torchic!" I gasped and made to step forward.

I stopped, though, when murderous red eyes glared in my direction and I set my green eyes on the puppy Pokémon. I froze as I saw blood splattered across its muzzle and white froth coming from the edges of its mouth. _What the fuck?_ I thought as we stared at each other, I in shock and it in what appeared to me as hunger. _Bloodlust_. "Oh, shit," I muttered. The next thing that came from my mouth was a scream as the demented dark-type leapt at me. As I ran, I spotted the Torchic standing up once more and I yelled, "Scratch, Torchic!" remembering that this particular Pokémon didn't know tackle. I was more than thankful for that moment of insight as my new feathered friend jumped at the canine after my blood and gave it a massive gash along its backside. The thing gave off a high pitched yelp before lunging for the fire bird again. I repeated my previous command and the Poochyena went down, sporting another bleeding wound.

At that point, I had stopped running around and found myself in front of the recently vacated tree that Birch had inhabited. He was kneeling next to me now, breathing deeply and staring between the unconscious (_Dead?_ I questioned myself, not sure I wanted to know) Pokémon, the Torchic I had used, and my own panting form.

"Hi," I said weakly, waving a limp hand over at the brown haired man.

"Hey," he said back and stood. "Thanks for that," he nodded over at the Poochyena (I felt a flash of guilt and tried to shrug it off to little effect).

"No prob," I shrugged.

"Uh, who are you?" he questioned me.

"Oh, I'm – " I was cut off.

"We'll talk back at my lab," he said and started for the little town I had left not ten minutes ago. I stared at him blankly for a moment before floundering to follow him.

"Tor-chic-chic," I heard at my heels and turned to see the little orange bird following me closely. It bumped into my calves and puffed up its feathers before shaking its head. I smiled at it before leaning down slowly and picking it up with my free hand and steadying it with my fist which still held the Pokéball. "Chic?" it tilted its head and I grinned, deciding to carry it in my arms (and cuddle it, though I'd deny that). _Too cute_.

It didn't take long before we'd reached the lab. The inside, I wasn't surprised to see, was pristinely white and had random pieces of equipment scattered about with lab assistants puttering around. We reached the opposite end of the room and Birch turned to me again. "So, who are you?"

"I'm Lucy, I just moved in next door," I explained.

"Oh yeah," he nodded in a vague sort of recognition. "Norm's kid, right?"

"Yep, that'd be me," I agreed, mentally trying to decide if that counted was lying.

"Well, thanks again, kid." He paused and tilted his head to the side as he stared at me and the Torchic. "You know, you two weren't half bad."

I gave him a look that probably said, _You're shitting me, right?_

"Well… okay, so you weren't great," he admitted sheepishly. "But you _did_ get that Poochyena which is an achievement for a trainer and a Pokémon who've never met."

"Oh, I'm not a trainer," I denied automatically, shaking my head. The Torchic chirped at me again.

"Really now? Because I think you take after your father with that fighting spirit." He got a very determined look on his face that almost unnerved me; I was sort of waiting for him to start yelling… or pull me somewhere as everyone else in this world had done so far. "I've decided! I'm going to let you keep that Torchic."

"Really?" I asked excitedly, clutching the poor thing to my chest until it pecked at my arm and I loosened my grip. I honestly was excited, even though this was the expected outcome. My face split into a wide grin. "Thanks!"

"Of course! My son, Brendan, is a part time trainer as well; mostly he just helps me out in the lab. In fact, he's up on Route 103 right now studying some Pokémon. You might want to go find him; he'll probably give you some tips."

"Uh, yeah, sure," I said. Honestly I wasn't a big fan of the Rival battles in the Pokémon series, but I realized that in this game it was a necessary evil to start my Pokémon journey. _I am _not_ going to ruin this dream with bothersome semantics_. Another thought came to my head. "I realize this is a little late, but what was up with that Poochyena in the forest?" I was absolutely positive that that particular Pokémon feature wasn't in the game.

"You don't know? Oh, right, you're from Johto," he muttered to himself before reaching over to a shelf and pulling out a book. The cover read _Vesicular Stomatitis: The New Region Problem._ "There have been cases of wild Pokémon foaming at the mouth, attacking without reason, gorging themselves on blood and muscle tissue, and creating chaos in cities and towns all over Hoenn. It's a very strange phenomena selective only to our region and no one can figure out what's causing it," he explained as he flipped through the pages, showing various pictures of attacking Pokémon that had the same blood-crazed, insane look that the Poochyena had. "We think it's a virus, but it can't be confirmed since all of the Pokémon attack so viciously… there's been no live capture of any species to date," he sighed.

His explanation brought about a brief stint of relief to the guilt I felt for killing that poor Pokémon, but it also brought up more questions than ever. Birch seemed to sense this as he handed the book over to me.

"Here, take this with you," he pressed it into my hands. "I have other copies and you really ought to get going, it's going to be dark in a few hours and if you're going to find Brendan and have time to come back and get your things ready to head off tomorrow, you'll need to leave soon. If you have any more questions, just call me," he said before nearly pushing me out the door to his lab with a jaunty wave of his hand.

I blinked and looked down at the book in my hands.

_Yes, this certainly is different than the game_.

And with that, I headed off to Route 101 once more.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Yep, the same ol' "I got sucked into Pokemon!" thing. I'm hoping to put a new twist on it, though. Or, a few new twists (OMG an actual _plot line!_). You'll find out later. At any rate, y'all like it? Hate it? What can I do to keep the fanfic Gods happy? (ritualistic sacrifice?)


	3. Second Scuffle

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Two:**

As I kicked through the tall grass in Route 101, I darted my eyes about the woods that surrounded me. A few minutes ago, as soon as I'd stepped foot into the infamous tall grass, I'd made a conscious decision to keep my eyes open for Pokémon for two reasons. The first was because of the new information I'd just received from Birch; I really didn't want to be attacked by blood hungry Pokémon in the near future. The second was for a more personal reason… shiny Pokémon. I knew it was stupid, but I'd never, _ever_ found a shiny Pokémon in all the time I'd been playing the series and I was on constant lookout for them. Somehow I figured that they would be easier to find now than they would wandering around on a Game Boy; I knew it was irrational, but still.

I was allowed to be obsessive sometimes, right?

I could finally see the exit to get to Oldale Town and sighed, knowing that I'd still have to trek through another batch of tall grass once I'd reached Route 103. All this walking wasn't as quick or easy as it was in the game – though in a realistic sense, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Just as I came to this reluctant understanding with my nemesis, Nature, I felt something brush up against me and jerked my leg. Unfortunately, when I pulled away from whatever had touched me it caused me to go off balance and land smack dab on my ass in the tall grass. I huffed out a breath, blowing my bangs from my eyes, and stared suspiciously in the general direction the touch came from. I heard some rustling before the grass parted before me and a Pokémon appeared. In the forefront of my mind, I was sort of dreading seeing it (the Poochyena incident still plaguing me), but what I saw made a laugh bubble up from my throat. The Pokémon before me was nothing more than a simple Wurmple. As I was laughing at my own suspiciousness, the thing attacked. I had a mouthful of something sticky and stringy (string shot, I realized later) within seconds and I had a fit to cough it all up. Suddenly, the Wurmple seemed more dangerous than I gave it credit for.

"Torchic, go!" I called as I released my new Pokémon.

The fiery bird hopped out, took one look at the bug-type, and turned back to me. The look in its eye said,_ SRSLY?_ I sighed.

"Just use scratch, Torchic," I rolled my eyes. The worm was down after a single attack, too weak to withstand and too slow to dodge. As I looked at my Pokémon, preening its feathers, I came to a singular conclusion. "I ought to give you a name, huh?" I asked it, rhetorically. To my shock it looked back at me and nodded its head before going back to cleaning its feathers. "Whoa. You understand me?" It paused and stared and I took it as a 'yes.' "Hm. Well, all right then. So, uh, are you a boy or a girl?" I asked as I stood and continued walking, my starter at my side.

"Torchic," it chirped.

"Okay," I scrunched my brows together. "One chirp for girl, two for boy."

"Tor-chic-chic," it responded.

"Boy, got it." I racked my brain and flashed another glance at the avian-like creature. "How 'bout… Vexyl? You'll need a tough name for when you evolve and grow into your bad-assery."

"Torchic!"

"I'll take that as an approval."

"Chic."

Vexyl and I continued on through the rest of Route 101 and breezed by Oldale Town in a companionable silence. Having a Pokémon beside me wasn't as odd as I'd first thought it would be. Once I got over the strange fact that in this dream world I'd created Pokémon were real it all became very… normal. Different than I'd though "Real Pokémon" would be, but pretty damn awesome all the same. About forty five minutes after the incident with the Wurmple (and the impromptu naming ceremony) we'd arrived to the ledges of Route 103. At first, I was just going to walk through the tall grass and up to where I knew Brendan would be, but seeing that the ledges were only to my waist I decided that Vex and I could just hop up them. With a little effort, we'd cut another fifteen minutes off our walk time. It wasn't hard to spot the bright red jacket and brilliant white hair that Brendan Birch possessed and Vexyl and I walked up to him.

"Yo," I said as I tapped his shoulder. "I –"

"What the –!" he shouted and spun to face me. The first thing I noticed that his eyes were a brilliant ruby color (oh, game designers, you're so clever) and the second was that they were wide and unblinking, taking on the edgy look of a panicked man. "Who the fuck are you?" he demanded, a scowl now marring his face and eyes now narrowed in a glare. They loosened briefly in some sort of realization before a suspicious sort of hate took its place. "You're that figure they were talking about on the news!" he accused, pointing a gloved hand in my direction.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, hands up in front of me and my head shaking. "You've got it all wrong. Your dad sent me and Vexyl out here to –" I started, motioning toward my starter. Before I could finish, though, I was being yelled at. Again.

"Thief!" he hollered when he saw the Torchic.

" – get some… wait, what? No!" I denied, frowning.

"That's one of my father's Pokémon he's studying; you stole him!"

My head shook but I didn't know how to reason with his accusing glare.

"I'm going to get him back from you! Go, Mudkip!" he commanded and threw out a Pokéball I hadn't noticed he was clutching. A brilliant flash of white light later, a blue, slick looking Pokémon was staring up at me cutely.

"Kip?" it tilted its head.

"Mudkip, tackle!" Brendan ordered.

"Shit!" I swore. "Vex, dodge left!" My little bird hopped slightly off to the side, only getting side-swiped by the opposition. I frowned when I realized he'd taken some damage. "Hey, I'm not a thief, I'm just –"

"Shut it, scum! Mudkip, tail whip!" he ignored me. I rolled my eyes in frustration.

"Damn it! Vex, scratch!" the fire-type hopped once more, only this time he threw himself toward the Mudkip, past the tail whip, and slashed at its back.

"Kiiip!" the blue creature wailed, pulling its tail fin into its claws.

"You brute," Brendan hissed at me. I blinked. _What is _wrong_ with this guy?_ "Mudkip, let's finish this with a tackle!"

I sighed again. "Vexyl, just hop over it and use scratch again." He did as commanded and the resulting damage left the Mudkip curled up in pain on the grass, bleeding freely. I felt really bad about harming the poor thing – it wasn't his (her?) fault that his trainer was such a presumptuous dick.

"Mudkip, no!" Brendan fell to his knees, picking up his Pokémon and curling it to his chest. He glared up at me. "You _bitch_."

"What_ever_," I huffed. "If you'd have let me finish none of this would have happened!" I paused in my pre-rant and checked up on Vexyl. He had minimal damage but I figured it was probably a good idea to do a quick stop back at the Pokémon Center we'd passed in Oldale, just in case. I turned back to my rival. "My name's Lucy, I'm your new neighbor. Your dad got attacked by an infected Pokémon and I saved him; in return he gave me Vexyl here," I patted the Torchic's head. "Then he suggested that I should find you up here to get some advice on being a trainer before I headed out tomorrow." I scoffed and picked up my Pokémon before standing straight. I turned to say some final, scathingly witty thing but seeing him there, head bent over his Pokémon and on his knees and looking utterly defeated, the air just deflated out of me. I sighed. "At any rate," I said softly, "you should probably get your Pokémon to the Center in Town soon."

"I've got a potion," he muttered and gently laid his Mudkip on the ground to pull the health restorer from his bag. He sprayed it on the wounds and I was once more amazed, this time at the sight of the wounds knitting themselves back together and the skin healing from grayish purple back to its original ocean blue. He started speaking softly to the creature and I felt like I was intruding on some sort of private moment between close friends.

I turned on my heel and left.

It took even less time to get back to Oldale Town than it did to leave it and, after a brief stop at the Pokémon Center (in which I used up my happiness quota simply by watching the cheerful Nurse Joy work in her sugary-sweet way), in less than an hour and a half I was once more in Littleroot, the sun setting to my right. About fifteen or twenty feet ahead of me I could see Brendan hurrying towards his father's lab, his Mudkip slung about his neck like a scarf; if he had been a stranger I would have thought it adorable that the two were so close. Putting aside the disaster of our first encounter, I could see that he cared deeply for his Pokémon. _Too bad he's such an ass_. As I reached the lab I resolved not to let my initial impression of him cloud my judgment any.

"Professor Birch?" I called when I entered the lab, Vexyl hot on my heels.

"Ah, Lucy, there you are," the man in question said, turning to me. "Brendan was just questioning me about you." My resolve faded.

"More like interrogating, probably," I murmured to myself. Birch chuckled.

"Yes, well," he cleared his throat. "I wanted to apologize for my son's rash behavior and congratulate you on your first victory." He beamed at me and I could see Brendan frowning just past his shoulder. I was very tempted to stick out my tongue and gloat. "As a gift, I wanted to give you these; they'll be invaluable on your journey." He pulled out a red, oblong device that I vaguely recognized as the Hoenn PokéDex and a clear box that held five small, glossy white-and-red objects. _Pokéballs,_ I thought, giddy at the thought of capturing many new friends. "This is a PokéDex, whenever my kid is out he records all the Pokémon he sees for me."

"Thanks, Professor," I smiled, taking the objects; I didn't know where the fanny pack I was supposed to have was at, but I could always find a bag back at the house, I was sure.

"We have different rules than Johto, you know," Brendan spoke up, seeing my excited look. _Kill joy_.

"What rules?" I asked. Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh, yes," Birch agreed, nodding his head at his son. "Why don't you explain, Brendan?"

"Sure." My new rival then gave me a superior look. "As a trainer, you're only allowed to catch a single Pokémon per area and _only_ the first one you find."

"What?" I gaped. What the hell did he mean, only allowed to capture the first Pokémon I find? This was _not_ in the game. _Great, now my dreams are giving me a hard time_.

"Unless, of course, you're a Pokémon researcher, like Dad and me," he finished, smirking at me.

"It's a response to the outbreak of sick Pokémon in Hoenn," his father supplied. "There's an abundance of trainers but in the past they've only captured the Pokémon they want and in any amount they wanted. With this Virus Scare the Pokémon League is afraid that wild Pokémon will be over-caught. To displace this they've set it up so that you're only allowed to capture the first Pokémon in a single area," seeing my look of horror, he added, "you can always trade Pokémon, though…"

"Yeah, right," I muttered darkly.

As I turned to leave, I saw the smug half-grin that Brendan gave me and noted, _Lucy: 1. Brendan: 1. We're even, now lay off._ I glared at him and flipped him the bird behind his father's back.

* * *

The next morning, after a night full of tossing and turning (I almost missed all the noise my siblings made), I readied myself and left Littleroot once more – this time with a yellow fanny pack slung about my hips with my PokéDex and Pokéballs inside. I had Vexyl out of his Pokéball and he was chirping along beside me. We'd made it mostly out of Route 101 unscathed until the very end when we were (once more) attacked by a wild Wurmple. Without commanding him, Vex hopped atop the bugs head, knocking it out. At first, I was just going to abandon the knocked out Pokémon and make my way to Route 102, but then my white haired foe's words came to mind. _"…you're only allowed to catch a single Pokémon per area and __only__ the first one you find."_

"Damn," I muttered as I looked back at the red worm. "Well, I wouldn't mind a Dustox," I shrugged, pulling out a Pokéball. The ball shook the cursory three times before dinging; I picked it up and tossed it back and forth in my hands. "What d'ya think, Vex? Think they'll be a good addition to our team?"

"Tor-or," he said, fluffing his feathers. I was going to take that as a shrug.

We made it to Oldale in good time and I healed my new Wurmple before we set off to Route 102. To be honest, there wasn't much of a difference in appearance from this Route than the last two I'd been on. It was very green and very grassy and still surrounded by trees as tall as buildings. On the other hand, there was a pond to the right of the entrance about twenty feet ahead.

"Hmm, what are the common Pokémon of the area?" I asked myself. I remembered that the first gym was rock type and with a Torchic and a Wurmple I was sure to lose in a heartbeat. "Well, in the game you can find Poochyena, Zigzagoon, and Lotad near here. Maybe…" Making up my mind, I marched us over to the grass where a kid was walking around at. I stalked through the grass, parting it with my hands as I searched. I was really hoping for a Poochyena – dark types were my favorite, right before fire types, though most people seemed to find them useless – but a Lotad would do just as well (not to mention dead helpful against Roxanne). On the other hand, if I found another Wurmple I don't think I could really enjoy the catch.

"C'mere little Pokémon… Lucy isn't going to hurt you," I cooed into the grass as I half-bent to sift through it. I heard some rustling behind me and smiled slightly. "Gotcha!" I parted the grass, hoping to find a Poochyena or at least a Lotad but to my surprise it was neither. The Pokémon in the grass was a _Ralts_. "Wow," I breathed. Even in the game these Pokémon were dead hard to find – I'd spent ten minutes in a single patch of grass looking for them the first time I played and still I hadn't found one. "It is my lucky day. Vex, get it with a scratch," I commanded and my little fire type hopped over to the green-bodied, red finned, helmeted creature. Vexyl used the scratch attack and the thing cried out in pain, not even attempting to dodge. I couldn't blame it, really, it was frail looking and I knew that at this level the only attack they had was growl. Taking pity on it (and near about thrumming in excitement), I enlarged and threw a glossy Pokéball. The sphere conked the red protrusion from its helmet, opened, and swallowed the Ralts in a brilliant red light. I crossed my fingers and bit my lip. "C'mon, c'mon, ding already!"

_Ding_.

"Yes!" I shouted, grabbing the Pokéball and jumping up and down in excitement. "Jesus Christ, I can't believe I just caught you!"

"What?"

I spun around to face the intruder on my little victory dance and recognized the kid who'd been lurking in the same patch of grass that I was.

"What's a Jesus Christ?" he asked, tilting his head. I was once again reminded of how different our worlds were.

"Uh," I stuttered, trying to think of something. Staring at the Pokéball in my hand, I said, "Uh, that's what I'm naming the Pokémon I just captured! Jesus. Yep. Heh, heh, yeah…" I said cheesily. The kid gave me a look and walked away. I bit my tongue trying not to resume my squealing with joy. I grinned down at my Torchic. "Vexyl and Jesus. Heh. Now, to name my Wurmple," I pondered, putting a finger to my lips. Deciding, I pulled the Pokéball from my pack and released the creature inside.

"Wur-um?" it blinked big, black eyes at me as I knelt down in front of it.

"Hey there, I'm your new trainer," I informed it. "Now, how about a name, huh?"

"Wurmple, wurm," it said, and I took it as an acceptance.

"How's Jeddy sound?" The name seemed fitting for some reason; probably because the itty thing reminded me of my youngest brother, Jed. It squealed happily and launched itself up my leg and onto my lap, nuzzling me. It would have been completely adorable if not for the fact that, as a Wurmple, it had a thin sheen of moisture on its skin. I shuddered but picked the thing up from my lap anyway, and letting it stick to my shoulder. Jeddy seemed content with the placement and I called out my Ralts to finish off our little group meeting. I informed Jesus of his own new name and, timid thing that he was, he merely muttered his specie name. "We're starting to look like a real team, guys," I clapped my hands together. I took out two Pokéballs, aiming them at my starter and my new psychic type. "Vex, Jesus, return!" In a flash of light, the two were now cozy in their Pokéballs. I looked at the Wurmple on my shoulder. "Ready to grind, Jeddy?"

And so we did.

To tell the truth, I wasn't sure if grinding was either more boring or more captivating in real than it was in the video game. On the one hand, watching my Wurmple tackle Zigzagoon after Zigzagoon and Wurmple after Wurmple was pretty boring; the battles start to blend together after a while. On the other hand, I could almost _feel_ my Pokémon becoming stronger. It's tackles were rougher, string shots harder to dislodge, and (when it learnt it) its poison stings ever more effective. We'd even taken on some of the trainers along Route 102 all by ourselves; Jeddy and I were bonding in a way I didn't think would happen.

About halfway to Petalburg we ran into another trainer and I put Jeddy down on the ground, ready for a battle. I was confident and had a smile on my lips; that is, until he called a Taillow out of its Pokéball.

"Oh, shit."

The little bastard smirked at me, calling, "Taillow, peck!"

Floundering, I shouted for Jeddy to do a string shot. The gooey substance was enough of a distraction that the enemy didn't get a direct hit, but my Wurmple was hit with enough force from the side swipe to land a few feet away. "Wur-wurm ple," it said weakly, struggling to get back up. I hastily pulled out his Pokéball and recalled him just before another peck attack could land. I gasped, knowing I was _that close_ to losing my new companion. My gaze hardened as I turned back to the battle at hand.

"You would kill an innocent Pokémon just to win a battle?" I asked in disgust. The kid just shrugged.

"You agreed to a battle," he said, as if that rid him of any guilt.

"You are going _down_, kid," I snarled at him. "Vexyl, come on out!"

"Tor-OR-chic!" he growled upon being released; they must be able to hear while in those things because he looked as livid as I did.

"Scratch!" I commanded. My starter ran toward the hovering Taillow, intent upon his target.

"Taillow, dodge it by flying up!" the little brat demanded. The bird flew just out of what I considered Vexyl might be able to reach and I didn't know what to tell him to do. Luckily, he already had a plan. Digging his claws into the soft ground, he vaulted into the air, fluffed his feathers to delay his air time, and swiped at the bird Pokémon he now seemingly hovered in front of. The Taillow, too startled to move, had a face full of claw and went down like a light.

"You – you!" The boy huffed, recalling his Pokémon. His next one was a Zigzagoon that we easily took care of, Vex working off his anger with a few well placed scratch attacks. The battle ended with the youngster stomping off back toward Oldale and me about fifty pokébucks richer. I recalled Vex and darted through the rest of the route, passed a girl in a blouse and pink skirt, and directly into the heart of the thriving little community of Petalburg. I was lucky enough that the Pokémon Center was near the entrance of town, just passed the Pokémart. I raced in, my running shoes skidding on the polished floor, and ran up to the counter.

"My Wurmple – he needs help!" I gasped. Nurse Jenny put on a somber face, nodded once, and took the Pokéball that was clutched in my hand. She handed it off to a Chansey with a few murmured instructions before pushing me to one of the chairs.

I was freaked.

I mean, I understood that Pokémon could die in this world – Vex had taken care of that Poochyena back in Route 101 after all – but it just never really clicked that fainting didn't apply to this world. There _was_ no fainting; just death. And it shook me to think that my own damn arrogance could've gotten Jeddy killed; he was just a little thing, he didn't deserve that. Suddenly, I felt a whole lot more empathetic with Brendan than I had. It was the same old teenage stereotype, only instead of thinking that _we_ couldn't die, we thought it of our Pokémon. My hands shaking, I grasped my other two Pokéballs, my palms feeling empty without the third.

_Never again_, I told myself. _Never again._

* * *

**A/N:** Yay for three +Alerts! -clap- _Anyway_, did I forget to mention that I was basing this off of my own game of Pokemon? Because that's exactly what I'm doing. As I play the game, I go along and write the scenes in my own way. So, basically, (since the game lacks a plot other than the whole Team Aqua versus Team Magma thing) I make my own story to go with the Pokemon I manage to capture and the names I give them and (somewhat) how the battles go. So, yes.

Now, please review and I'll give you a cookie. And a dedication for next chapter.


	4. Third Thoughts

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Three:**

It took forty five minutes for Nurse Joy to get back to me in the waiting room, and to ease my jumpy hands I pulled out the book that Birch had given me the day before. _Vesicular Stomatitis_ (also known as Pokémon rabies, or Poké-rabies, go figure) was halfway between intriguing and disturbing; it outlined the symptoms that the infected Pokémon presented and gave play-by-plays of the vicious battles researchers and trainers had with the poor creatures. As I frowned in disgust at a particularly brutal battle, I couldn't help but think that an appropriate term for the aftermath was carnage. Not all of the Pokémon were left as intact as Vex had left the Poochyena and in quite a few cases all that was left was bits of fur and a mangled body. I held down my breakfast, but only barely, as Nurse Joy finally exited the back room. I looked up, shutting the small book and zipping it back into my pack, anxious to get Jeddy back and give him a look over myself. The look in her eyes made me pause, though. Her normally bright and sparkling face was downcast and sadness swept across her entire frame, her shoulders slumping slightly and her hands clasped in front of her – around my Pokéball. I sat back down slowly, half-knowing and dreading what was to come.

"Lucy – " she started, holding out the Pokéball. "I'm so sorry; there wasn't anything we could do." She placed the orb into my limp hand and I just looked at it as she walked away.

"No," I whispered before clutching it tightly to my chest. What had I done? I could feel my eyes hazing over with salty tears and I bit my lip to stop them; it didn't work and so I scrubbed my free hand across my eyes before giving up and letting out a small, choked sob. "I'm so sorry, Jeddy," I told the shrunken Pokéball in my hands, my voice breaking. "So sorry." I sat there for a few more moments to grieve the loss of my Pokémon – we'd become so attached so quickly it frightened me. It was barely after noon and already I'd lost one. I don't think I could ever look at my Pokémon games the same way again, not after this. I set my face in determination and pulled a length of leather cord from my pack, rapping it tightly around the Pokéball and then knotting the ends together. I slipped it around my neck and made myself a promise that I wouldn't let down my Pokémon again. I couldn't. _I won't._

I set off out of the Pokémon Center slowly, walking towards the Gym that I knew I was going to have to visit at some point. I wasn't really thrilled about having to meet the abandonee father that the game had included, nor having to help Wally catch a Ralts, but I could find no way around it and I wanted out of Petalburg as soon as possible. I entered the new-looking building and the inside was surprisingly dark; the walls were covered in wood paneling and the entrance had two pillars proclaiming the Gym Leader and type on them. I looked toward the center of the room and, sure enough, there stood Norman, though he looked slightly different than I remembered; his chin wasn't as square, his face not quite so tan, and his hair didn't have that blue-tint of the video game. I walked up to him (he seemed distracted by the Pokéballs in his hands for some reason) and cleared my throat.

"Hmm?" he looked up and tilted his head at me. "Who are you?"

I blinked at him. _What?_ "Uh, it's me, Lucy, your daughter?" I half-asked, half-said.

"You don't look like the sprite programmed into the game," he muttered, narrowing his eyes as he looked over me. It was true, I wasn't as… endowed as May was, nor as tan, nor as thin. My shoulders were a little too wide for my frame and my hair was short and black with my bangs flopping over my green eyes and obscuring my glasses. But it was odd – he should have recognized me as his daughter just as the woman back in Littleroot had. It clicked in my head what he had said to himself. _"…the sprite programmed into the game."_

"Wait, sprite?" I asked, making sure I heard right. Was he stuck in this world like I was?

"Uh – oh, um," he stuttered, realizing his mistake. "It's nothing – I was just – "

"Are you not… from this world, too?" I asked, my eyes wide. He paused and gave me back the same look.

"No, I'm not. And… you? You're not from, uh, here?" he asked, shaking his head slightly.

"Nuh-uh," I said and proceeded to tell him what had happened to me. He spent a minute thinking, eyes narrowed in concentration before I broke him from whatever was on his mind. "Did the same happen to you?" I asked. It would have been strange if it had – I mean, I knew some adults played the Pokémon games, though it was primarily something for kids and teens and young adults who'd grown up with them in hand, but it wouldn't have been out of the question.

"Oh, no," he shook his head. "I'm a designer consultant for the franchise. I was looking over the old games for inspiration for the next region of Black and White and decided the best way was to play through it," he said, shrugging. "I was playing it through an emulator on my computer when the power went out. Next thing I know, I'm in the backroom of this place," he gestured his hand in a semi-circular motion, "and someone was waking me up for a Gym Battle." He sighed. "I was lucky to remember what little I did about the Pokémon in these," he held out the Pokéballs he had been inspecting, "but I lost anyway."

"Oh. Wow," that was a lot more interesting than what happened to me. And, a game consultant? Pretty damn awesome. "Well, that rules out dreaming and insane."

"What?" he asked.

I sighed. "When I realized just where I was I decided that one of three things was happening: I was dreaming, I was insane, or, y'know, I was actually in the Pokémon world. I guess I can cross off the first two, though, since I don't think my imagination could come up with you."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'd pretty much thought the same thing. So, what do you think is actually happening then?"

"I'm not sure." We paused for a moment, both lost in our own, confusing thoughts. "So, is your name actually Norman then? Because it would be really awkward to call you Dad."

"No, sorry. My name is Eric Moldova; you said your name was Lucy?"

"Yeah, Lucy Spalding. Uh, nice to meet you, I guess." We looked at each other.

"This is still awkward," he said. I nodded and sighed.

"No kidding."

The door behind us opened, alerting us to a visitor. Sure enough, a kid about thirteen or fourteen wandered in, hunched over and looked around. His hair was nearly the color of lima beans and his eyes were the same color; he was a scrawny thing and looked frail. I recognized who he was and apparently so did Eric.

"Ah, Wally, hello," he said, playing the part of gentle, caring Gym Leader well.

"H-hi," the boy wheezed out. "Um, well, I was leaving for Verdanturf today and I was hoping that you could, uh, help me catch a Pokémon? For company?" he said, looking at his shoes and scuffing his toe on the floor.

"Well, I'm kind of busy right now," Eric lied, "but I'm sure my daughter, Lucy, would be happy to help you. Here, you can use my Zigzagoon and – do you have a Pokéball?"

"N-no," Wally shook his head.

"Well, here's an empty Pokéball," he handed the two items over and the green haired boy and I headed to the door.

Our walk over to Route 102 was silent, Wally too nervous and shy to talk to me, and I was too wrapped up in my thoughts. There was another person in _this_ world from _my_ world and it was throwing me through a loop. What was going on? Who was causing it? What was the purpose of this venture? Were Eric and I both having the same delusion and thrown into a mental asylum in the Real World? And were there more of us? My head started to throb from thinking about all of this and the more I thought the more questions I had, and each of those more complex than the last. The lack of answers was really starting to frustrate me and I had no clue as what to do now.

I pretty much ignored Wally as we wandered through the tall grass to find his Ralts. When he did eventually come upon it, he started talking to me but I just gave him nods and vague, "Good job, Wally"s and let him gain his own confidence. By the time he'd captured the psychic and we'd gotten back to the Gym I still had no self-confirmed answers. Wally thanked Eric and I and left us to our silence.

"Ugh!" I burst out, startling my not-father. "I don't know what to do, other than continue on with the game! What is there to do? How are we to find who put us here? When will we go home? If I win? What if all my Pokémon die on the way?" I said this all in succession, my face turning red. If you couldn't tell, I'm not a patient person and the whole situation was chiseling away at my nerves.

"Well," Eric start, "why not just continue on? I mean, so far mostly everything's been the same as the game, right? So maybe if you win – if you beat the Gym leaders and the Elite Four and the Champion – maybe we'll get to go home."

I thought about this.

"Yeah, maybe that's best," I agreed, after sighing.

We said our goodbyes, and I headed out of town and off towards route 104 with a single thought on my mind, _What if I don't want to leave?_

It was true, even with the short time I'd known Jeddy I had become attached, and the same was happening with Vexyl. I was sure Jesus would be the same and so forth with every Pokémon I caught. How could I just leave them? It's one thing to turn off a game for a little while and it's another to completely abandon the creatures that have come to depend upon you and trust you with their safety. I pushed the thought away, not wanting to think of the (possible) inevitability. I sighed again and released my two remaining Pokémon before kneeling in front of them.

"All right, you two," I started. I thought about what I was about to say and my breath hitched. I cleared my throat. "I hate to have to tell you this, but we lost one of our members today."

"Tor-or," Vexyl said, his chirping softer than usual. I knew he understood. Jesus tilted her head up at me in confusion, on hand resting just below her helmet.

"Jeddy," I supplied. "He fought bravely against a Taillow whose trainer didn't know the meaning of mercy or of honor," I growled the last part before pulling the grayed-out Pokéball from around my neck, holding it to my partners for inspection. Vex bumped his beak up against it in a sign of sorrow and Jesus placed her other hand on it briefly before lifting it to tug at her red fin nervously. I put the ball back around my neck and tightened the knot before righting myself. "Now, I know it seems soon, but we need another companion to our party; a fire type and a psychic type won't hold squat against powerful rock types, okay?"

"Torchic."

"Ra-ra."

"Good, I'm glad that we agree," I nodded and headed towards the tall grass. "Jesus, I want you to watch as Vex fights, okay? You need to gain some experience and with only a growl attack I don't know how else to do it."

We sifted through the grass for a while and Vex helped me with his beak while Jesus lay across my shoulders, watching. We weren't finding much, really, though I could hear the chirps of Wingull and Taillows above us; I didn't want either of those, though, Jeddy's passing still too soon to try for a quick flyer. I kicked through some more grass, almost ready to give up the search and head for Petalburg Forest when some rustling came from behind me. I glanced at Vexyl, motioning for him to stop, and we half-crawled over to where the rustling was at. I parted the grass and the three of us looked on. It was two Marills, tumbling on the ground. At first, I thought that they were either playing or battling and I suppose that the second one was true, in a sense. And, it would have been all fine and good – I could have waited until one of them was weak and captured it that way – had the attacking Marill not been foaming at the mouth and had red splotches of dried blood on its paws. It was another infected Pokémon and I had to stop it before the other Marill got hurt.

"Vex, use scratch!" I commanded, pointing at the infected Pokémon. He slashed the water mouse's back and the thing turned, foaming mouth set in a snarl. It tackled my Torchic roughly and I winced in sympathy. "Growl!" Vex did so, the Marill losing a bit of confidence and attack points, and Jesus and I snuck toward the injured Marill who'd been attacked. "Just keep using scratch!" I told Vex as he dodged a tail whip. I pulled out a Pokéball as I turned back to the mouse. "I can get you fixed up, but I'm going to have to capture you, okay?"

"Ma-marill," I said weakly.

"Go, Pokéball," I tossed the object and it dinged without protest. I picked it up and turned back to the battle. The infected mouse was weak, barely standing up, and I made a decision to capture it. "Go, Pokéball!" I repeated and tossed another device. It engulfed the Pokémon and shook for about thirty long seconds before settling down, the Pokémon inside too weak to struggle anymore. I took a deep breath in and blew the hair from in front of my eyes. I looked at Vex as he pecked the ball before I picked it up. "Well, I hope this helps the Professor," I shrugged. We walked back to Petalburg and I let the Nurse take my new Marill to heal before heading to the computer in the back. I scanned the Marill in, stored it in a box, and put a sticky note in my brain about calling Birch when I had the chance. But, until I got a phone, I didn't see that happening any time soon.

I stopped by the Pokémart – I only had one ball left and decided that some antidotes would be useful in the Forest, too – before leaving town again. The sun was still bright, though more golden than blinding and I knew that I'd have to run my way through if I wanted to make it to Rustboro before dark. As I entered the dank woods, the first thing I noticed was the lack of light and the way the smell of moist soil rose to meet my nose. It reminded me a bit of fresh cut grass on a hot summer day; it was pleasant and I could see why people took walks through here. Through the maze of trees, I battled a bug catcher whose Wurmples were easy targets for Vex's beak. I guess I was lucky that I didn't run into any wild Pokémon in the woods, for the certainly would have been Wurmples and my stomach churned at the thought. I was about halfway through – possibly fifteen minutes in? – when I ran into a middle-aged man with a briefcase and a nice purple-red suit on.

"Oh, oh, Miss! Excuse me, Miss!" he said as he rushed towards me. "I was just making my way through the Forest looking for a Shroomish, I love Shroomish. Have you seen any?" he asked, his voice higher than I would have imagined.

"No, sorry, I haven't," I shook my head. Then, around the next bend of trees, a man in a striped shirt, blue bandana and cut-off pants raced towards us.

"Hey, you!" he shouted, pointing a gloved finger at the man next to me. The man in question squealed girlishly and hid behind my back, which was not nearly big enough for him to be covered by.

"Oh, no!" he moaned. "He's a Team Aqua Grunt! He's trying to steal my Devon Goods!" he said, flinging around his briefcase as he gestured. He grabbed my shoulders and shook. "You have to save me!"

"What? Ohhh," I said, dawning realization. "Oh, okay." I shrugged and called for Vex who was looking on curiously. The man grinned at me viciously.

"You'll never win against my Poochyena!" he released the Pokémon and the bitty thing snarled at us. _Still very cute_, I noted mentally.

"Scratch 'im, Vex!"

"Tackle!"

Our Pokémon collided mid-attack and I was glad to see that my Torchic did more damage to the dark-type than he received.

"Urg," the Grunt growled, "howl!" The pup released a long, high-pitched noise as it raised its nose to the air. It looked back down at us and released a snarl, confidence (and attack points) getting higher. "Tackle!"

"Vex, jump him like you did with Brendan's Mudkip!" I ordered and the bird-type flung itself into the air, over the tackle attack, and scratched a long, deep gash into the back of the Pokémon. The pup whimpered, too weak to get up.

"Useless Pokémon," the Grunt sneered and I wanted to throw something at him; preferably Vex's sharp claws, but a rock would do. "Return! I'll get you some time! This _isn't_ over," he glared and dashed off.

"Oh, oh, thank you!" Devon Man said, hugging me tightly. I stiffened up, not appreciating the close contact, and he released me. "Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly, still smiling widely. "Here," he dug around his briefcase, "take this! It's a Great Ball; think of it as a gift for saving me! Ta!" he dashed off. I blinked after him and shrugged down at my two Pokémon.

"Well… let's get going, shall we?" And so we did.

It didn't take long to get to the end of Petalburg Forest and I was still glad – though a little baffled – that we hadn't seen a single wild Pokémon. Maybe it was because I had Vex and Jesus out? Scared them off or something. Either way, I wasn't complaining. I saw a large blue, flowered building just to my left, but didn't go in; I wasn't all that interested in getting a watering pail and didn't know where to stow it; my pack wasn't as big as the game made it seem. I took a right instead and passed by two girls – one an adult and one a school girl – before reaching a pier that I remembered I had to cross to reach Rustboro. I looked at the water of the pond as it churned gently with the late afternoon breeze and gave a slight smile.

"Hey, you!" a high pitched voice called from behind me. I turned around but didn't see anything. "Down here," another voice of the same pitch called and I looked down. Right next to me on the pier was a set of dark haired twin girls dressed in pink. "Battle us!" the called in unison.

"Um, okay?" I shrugged. I turned to my starter and said, "Vexyl, I want you to stay out of this one, okay? Tilly," what I'd named my Marill, "and Jesus need some practice."

"Chic," Vex agreed and snuggled down to the wood boards beneath him.

"All right, Tilly, come on out!" I called my third Pokémon to attention.

"Ma-rill?" she grabbed her tail in her paws and looked up at me.

"Hi there, Tilly," I smiled at her and placed Jesus next to her. I gestured to the twins who'd requested the battle, both waiting impatiently and tapping their Mary-Jane glad feet. "All right, you two, you think you can take them on?"

"Ralts-ra!" Jesus proclaimed, sounding as enthusiastic as I'd heard hear in the near eight hours I'd known her. Maybe she had some fighting spirit in her yet.

"Maaa," Tilly agreed hesitantly.

"Great. All right, you two, call your Pokémon," I told the girls as my team turned to them.

"Hn. Go, Lotad!" The one on the left called.

"Go, Seedot!" her sister said.

The two easily recognizable Pokémon appeared in a flash of white and a small frown marred my face. Water and psychic versus grass and grass/water; not a good opposition.

"All right Tilly, Jesus, if you think you can't handle this then just give me the word, okay? Vexyl can always come in to replace one of you," I gave them both long looks to make sure they were okay before we started. And then, the battle began.

"Seedot, use bullet seed!"

"Lotad, absorb!"

"Damn," absorb was a powerful attack against a water type. But, to my surprise, Jesus shifted in front of Tilly before the attacks could hit.

"Ra-ALTS!" she exclaimed, raising her hands. The air in front of her distorted and pushed outward, which stopped the two attacks from hitting my team and kept pushing back towards our opponents. The hit was dead on and, surprisingly, it was pretty effective. The two Pokémon got back up, though, and I was ready to order another confusion attack (I'd looked it up on my PokéDex just what that was), but then their Pokémon started to attack… each other. I blinked. Then I started laughing as they bashed each other into unconsciousness.

"Good one, Jesus!" I grinned and hugged them both tightly to my chest. I recalled all three of them, collected my 192 pokébucks, and hightailed it to the Pokémon center for an long night of sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **And so Day 1 is completed. Do you like it? And, of course, the promised shout out to **Dodectron**. Thanks for my first review!


	5. Fourth Fight

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Four:**

I awoke the next morning, back stiff from lying on a hard cot all night. I groaned as I stretched. _The fan fictions lie_, I hissed in my brain as I worked the knots out of my spine. There were ten trainers of all ages on the floor in the main lobby of the Pokémon Center, myself included. There were no rentable rooms in the back that we could stay in and while there were couches available on the other side of the room, I'd gotten to the Center too late and they were all taken. _Just my luck_, I sighed internally as I headed to the second floor of the Center. The second floor didn't hold a trading center like the game portrayed (though there _was_ a battle arena behind one of the doors on the far wall), but instead held one large room that was split between a play area for the smaller Pokémon and a cafeteria that supplied food for both Trainer and their Pokémon. I headed to the line that was just starting to form, paid the requisite five pokébucks, and grabbed a tray with a carton of cereal, milk (I bought some coffee as well, though I'd had to pay more for it), and a fruit before heading to the other line and dished out two pokébucks per container of food I got for my companions. Yawning, I headed to a table in the corner and called my Pokémon.

"Eat up, guys," I grunted. "We've got a lot of training to do today. Especially you, Till."

"Marill?" she looked up at me, a piece of dry, brown kibble halfway to her mouth.

"We've got a gym to beat; a rock type gym," I started before taking a bite of my food. I slurped at some milk before finishing. "So, we're going to train you up and hope that we can introduce 'Water Gun' into your list of attacks, okay?"

"Maa," she said, looking a bit nervous. It was amazing at how quickly I'd started to pick up on their emotions and even what their speech meant without actual, English words. It was like reading body language, I supposed to myself as I munched some cereal that vaguely resembled the food I'd given my Pokémon. We finished up quickly and I recalled all but my Marill, deciding a little quality time wouldn't hurt. We walked up to Route 116 – at least, I think it was 116, I was having a hard time remembering and I would only get the Pokémon Navigator _after_ I'd gotten my Stone Badge and beaten the Team Aqua Grunt once more. While I started searching, we fought a boy in shorts and a backwards cap and Marill took out his Pokémon easily, I was proud to note; we moved on to the tall grass the kid stood in front of. I looked around, searching for a Pokémon to battle and capture; I'd decided that, just in case, I should catch every Pokémon I was allowed and, if I needed to, I could train them up at a later time.

"Whis…" I heard from behind me. I turned to find a cowering, pink creature with floppy ears tipped in yellow. It was cuter than it had been in the game, I'd give it back, but Whismur had never been an entirely useful Pokémon. I sighed.

"Oh well. Get 'im, Tills," I said to Marill. She hobbled forward and stood in a shaky fighting stance.

"Marill," she growled cutely (were all small Pokémon so adorable? Maybe it was just mine), trying to intimidate the pink creature. On any other Pokémon, it probably wouldn't have been terribly effective. But this Whismur shuddered slightly in fear, shrinking back, before throwing its arms to the side and letting out a high, piercing yell.

"Ahh!" I grabbed my head and covered my ears with my gloved hands, trying to muffle the sound. "Tilly!" I shouted, straining to be heard. "Tackle!" But she didn't hear me and just kept cringing away herself. "Tackle!" I repeated, desperate to shut the Pokémon up. But Tilly didn't move, instead she scrunched up her face and her body bloated slightly before a large, steady stream of water shot from her mouth, knocking the Whismur over. I uncovered my ears and grinned, running up to the water-type and hugging her to my chest. "Way-to-GO, Tills!"

"Ma-ma-rill!" she trilled at me, her own smile lighting up her face. I was glad she was starting to trust me after so little time and it made my grin grow brighter. I looked over at the fallen Whismur and put my Pokémon down.

"I ought to catch you, huh?" I asked rhetorically, tilting my head. I pulled out a Pokéball and tossed it; it dinged after only a minute and I tossed the ball into my pack and led Marill back into Rustboro for a little relaxing time before our Gym match. We spent the time walking around town – or, waddling, in Tilly's case – and eventually ended up at the Cutter's house and he gave me the HM Cut. As we walked away from it, I twisted the disk in my hands, wondering just how I was supposed to use the thing. I shrugged and stuck it in a pocket of my pack before checking into the Pokémon Center to heal Tilly up a bit. After that we finally reached what I'd been waiting for all morning: Rustboro Gym.

I entered the front doors and shivered. The walls were covered in stone and, unlike the game, there was no maze. The room only held a large arena covered in rocks, two painted boxes on either end, and a set of benches where I saw kids sitting. They hushed as I walked up and looked at me with wide eyes. I looked around, but I didn't see any taller being, meaning that Roxanne wasn't there yet for whatever lesson she was giving them.

"Hey!" a little boy said, tugging on the cuff of my glove. I looked down and thought, _Was I ever that short?_

"Uh, yes?"

"Are you a Trainer?" he asked, tilting his head.

"I am," I confirmed before looking around the room again. "And I'm here to battle Roxanne, do you know where she is?"

"Oooh," one little girl on the benches gasped. "_You're_ going to battle _Roxanne_?"

"Plannin' on it, yes."

She gave a smirk at her friends. "And you actually think you'll _win_?" she mocked, her friends twittering behind her in laughter.

_Vicious little thing, isn't she?_ I thought disparagingly. I narrowed my eyes, but before I had the chance to mentally scare the child, a back door opened and out came a girl about my age with more curves than I had, a long sleeved blue dress, red tights, and… curly, orange hair? _Doesn't Roxanne have brown hair?_ I thought, furrowing my brows. She, too, gave me a confused look.

"Can I… help you?" she asked, her voice belaying her confusion. I got an idea and walked over to her and away from the children.

We turned away from the little cretins and I whispered, "Is Pokémon a video game?" I figured it was the best, single-sentence description that I could give and only someone from the Real World would understand. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open as she turned to look me dead on.

"Yes!" she nodded her vibrant head. "Did you get pulled in here, too?"

"Mm-hmm," I agreed. "And so did Eric – he took Norman's spot," I explained. "You took Roxanne, Eric took Norman, and I took May. I'm Lucy, by the way."

"Just call me Stephanie. So, what are we doing here? Did you guys figure anything out? What happened to us?" she asked in quick succession, biting her lip. She wasn't nearly as confident as her counterpart and I found myself liking this girl.

"We didn't figure any of that out," I shook my head. "But we did pretty much think that me continuing the game was probably the best option."

We spoke for a few more minutes, trying to reason with each other what might be going on. It was easier to talk to her than it had been to Eric and I found myself happy to speak to an actual person who could talk back, instead of a Pokémon. I mean, I was coming to love my little companions, but sometimes you need civil conversation. I was starting to feel for my mom when all she had was screaming kids for company most of the day. Stephanie told me of what she'd been doing when this all happened – she'd been playing on her Game Boy in her dorm room, trying to catch a Geodude on Route 111 above Mauville – and then we decided to just go with what it like Eric and I had. I walked to the Trainer's box while she stood on the other end and we each nodded in acceptance to the other.

No holds barred; we'd try our damnedest.

"Marill versus Geodude!" the ref called.

Our Pokémon appeared, one blue and one gray-brown. I waited for her to make a move and she waited for me before –

"Geodude, Rock throw!"

"Water Gun it, Tilly!"

My mouse did as commanded and shot a heavy spray of water at the incoming rocks, knocking them off course. Surprisingly, it was powerful enough to keep going and hit the startled Geodude head (body?) on and reduce it to a heap as it smashed into one of the many boulders littering the terrain. I grinned.

"Great job, Tills!" I enthused, pumping a fist into the air. "Now, just one more to go."

"Hn, yeah, right," Stephanie mocked. "You're Marill may be tough, but she's no match for _Nosepass!_" she called, releasing her second Pokémon. Before I had time to react, she commanded, "Rock Tomb, Nosepass! Bury her!"

"Tilly, quick, roll out of the way!" I shouted as a giant pile of rocks came down on her head. "No!"

"Sorry!" Stephanie hollered over to my side, a truly guilty looking expression on her face. I just nodded – I knew she wasn't trying to kill Marill, but battles were brutal and I had to get used to that.

"C'mon, Tills, get up," I muttered to myself, waiting for my Pokémon to unbury herself – anything, to show me she was alive. And, sure enough, the rocks started falling away and out rolled a tightly compressed Marill. I gave a sigh of relief but bit my lip worriedly when she gave her equivalent of groan. I rushed over to her, picked her up, and walked back to my side of the field. I pulled two things from my pack and frowned, hoping my new strategy would work for at least a little while.

"You need to call your next Pokémon, Lucy," the Gym Leader reminded me.

"Yeah, I know," I nodded. "Go, Whismur!" The Pokémon appeared, looking slightly confused and I felt completely guilty for what I was about to do. He turned to me and whimpered. "I know, bud, I know. But I need to you to be brave for me, for at least a little while, okay?" He nodded hesitantly and walked onto the field.

"Nosepass versus Whismur!" I heard a referee call over the speakers.

"Use Uproar, Whismur!" I called, trying to keep my eyes on the battle while applying the Potion I'd pulled for Tilly. I had no choice but to throw Whismur to the dogs, so to speak; Vex and Jesus were no match for Nosepass and while the same was true for my new Pokémon, at least his squealing would effectively damage Nosepass's hearing. Sure enough just as I started spraying on the Potion Whismur let out a high-pitched, ear-rattling yell. I bit my lip, my hands too full to cover my ears, and barely heard the children yelling in the background.

"Nosepass, shut it up! Rock throw!" My opponent commanded.

"Nooose-_PASS_!"

"WHIIIIIIIIIIII –"

Whismur's wailing cut off just as I got done healing Marill and let out a gasp at the sight of dozens of rocks pounding into his small body. I quickly recalled him, saving him from another round of beating, and sent a newly healed Tilly onto the field.

"Hold on," I whispered to the Pokéball I kept in my hand before turning to the field. "Tilly, get as close as possible and pound him with your Water Gun!"

"Nosepass, let's go for another Rock Tomb!" Stephanie ordered in return.

The rock faced creature shouted his name before stomping on the ground hard, breaking off several large rocks and somehow throwing them at Tilly.

"Tail Whip the ground, Till – use the momentum to evade the rocks!" She did as told and just barely scraped by. Her tail got hit, though, and I knew we wouldn't be using that technique again this battle. She was close enough now, though, that we wouldn't need to. "Pelt 'im with a Water Gun!" She bloated up her body and sent the monster rock crashing down, soaked and sore. He didn't get back up.

"Match to the visitor, Lucy Maple!" the ref called.

I should have been happy to win, after all it was my first badge. But I didn't. Instead I felt guilty; I sent a defenseless creature against something I knew he had no hope of winning against. "But I had to," I muttered to myself, looking down at the now grayed out ball. Whismur didn't make it.

I took my badge and left; Stephanie seemed to understand and let me go.

* * *

I had just left the Gym, still down about the death of a friend I never got to know, when two men ran by me, both of whom I recognized. It was Devon Guy and the Team Aqua Grunt I'd battled back in the Forest. I realized that I was supposed to go after them and all that, so I did, though slowly.

_Two in two days, what kind of Trainer are you?_

My Inner Self was berating me for yet another death that I could've prevented – I could've trained with Tilly more, could've used Vex; he'd have lasted long enough for me to heal Tilly, right? – and at the same time rationalizing it. I knew that I had no choice, but it didn't make me feel any better. To use a pun I really didn't find funny at the moment, I had been between a rock and a hard place. It sucked. I finally came upon Devon Guy at the upper part of town, just before the city limits cut off. He was wringing his hands nervously, pacing to and fro, and muttering under his breath. I could hear what he said as I walked up to him.

"…can't believe it happened again… what's Mr. Devon going to say? …don't have any Pokémon to go after him… wonder where that girl is, maybe she could…"

"Ahem," I cleared my throat behind him. He spun to face me, his face first nervous and scared, but as he took me in his face brightened considerably.

"Lucy!" he hugged me same as he had before, and, same as before, I tensed up. _Personal space, guy._ He pushed me away then and held me tightly by my shoulders. "You have to help me!"

"Oh, pray tell?" I played along.

"That Team Aqua Grunt you saved me from yesterday – he came back! And he stole my Goods!"

"Again?"

"Yes, again!" he nodded fervently.

"And you want me to go after him?" I supplied.

"Oh, _yes_, that would be fabulous!" he beamed and pushed me towards Route 116. I sighed and trudged my way through the tall grass, idly wondering in the back of my head if the man was gay. I didn't have much time to think on it, since I was accosted by several Trainers. I tried brushing them off but they were insistent. _Well, that hasn't changed from the game,_ I thought. I battled them (the Mountaineers were easily defeated with Tilly while Jesus took out the school girl) and headed on to Rusturf Tunnel.

"Oh, oh my Peeko!" an old man bemoaned as he stood outside the entrance of the cave. He was pacing just as the Devon Guy had, though his stride wasn't as large; it looked more like he was turning in place, really. He spotted me as I was about to enter. "Oh, have you seen my Peeko? He's a Wingull and some man in a pirate costume took him from me!" he finished angrily.

"No, but I'll keep a look out while I'm in here," I said before entering the sooty-smelling tunnel. A little rock climbing later (there were no handy stairs, unfortunately) brought me close enough to the twice-again thief that I could see him through the smoky atmosphere of the tunnel, a Wingull by his side.

"Hey, don't come any closer!" he hollered at me as I was spotted.

"Give me back those Goods." Then I added, "And that Wingull too, you Pokénapper."

"Heh, this thing is useless anyway, but you'll have to fight me for the Goods!" he snarled, releasing a familiar Poochyena. There was something different about it, though, and it was quite noticeable. "Yeah, he's a vicious thing now, ain't you, mutt?" he taunted the frothing Pokémon. "Got in a fight with one of those infected things out in the Forest; now he's more than ready to tear your Pokémon apart!"

"You disgust me, exposing your Pokémon to a debilitating disease just so he'll go for blood," I said. "Go, Vexyl!"

"Tor-OR-chic!"

"Use Ember – and stay at far range, he's infected," I warned and my starter just nodded and chirped once in understanding.

"Use tackle, Poochyena!"

The pup snarled and raced towards Vex until he was close enough for the flames to reach his face; but, unlike a regular Pokémon, he just charged through it, fur aflame.

"Dammit," I cursed. "Jump on a rock or something, just stay away!"

"Torrrr," Vex complied and growled at the now shorter Pokémon. He let loose another blast of flames which were much more effective than last time. _Critical hit_, I thought as the dark type passed out on the ground; I didn't know if he was dead or just in severe pain and I really didn't want to know. It might have been better to put it out of its misery, but I didn't have the heart – or the stomach – to do it.

"Gah! Poochyena, return," the Grunt grumbled before throwing a box with the Devon logo at me. "Take it, then!" He dashed passed me and left the tunnel before I could stop him. Next thing I know the old man from outside was next to me, thanking me for saving his 'Darling Peeko.'

"Oh, thank you, lass! You ever need anything, you just call on ol' Briney and I'll help you!" he pronounced before dashing off. I blinked after him.

"That is so much weirder in reality," I sighed before recalling my Torchic and heading for the exit myself. Before leaving, though, I saw a crag in the stone wall and paused. I took out a less-than-glossy Pokéball from my bag, the red now faded to gray since its contents were deceased. I looked at it for a moment before wedging it into the space in the wall.

"I'm sorry, Whismur, that we didn't have more time together," was all I said – was all I had to say – before I left.

I was beginning to understand the brutality of this world and it sort of frightened me, but I just _got_ it, you know? These people were used to the endless battles, the endless deaths and injuries. They were desensitized in a way and I couldn't fault them for that. But to expose your Pokémon to something like rabies, to be _that_ cruel, was just wrong. I knew that for certain. I ran my way back to the Devon Guy, got another Great Ball in thanks, and was lead to the third floor of the Devon Corp. building, all as plan. I got the letter for Stephen, kept the parts for Captain Stern, and my PokéNav before heading back out of the building. I was just about the leave the fenced in area when this geeky looking guy with too large, thick framed glasses came up behind me, dressed in a lab coat from floor two.

"Hey, Lucy! I heard about what you did for the company and I wanted to install this new App on your PokéNav that lets you call people who you've got registered. Mr. President is already in there. Good luck!" he said all this while grabbing my new PokéNav, fiddling with it, and thrusting it back in my hands before walking off. I blinked after him and looked down at my device.

"Well… that's weird. Wasn't that supposed to happen in Emerald, not Sapphire?" I asked myself as I walked right out of town. I shrugged. Well. Whatever. It would be useful, either way.

I ended up calling Birch and letting him know about the infected Marill I'd caught the day before and he thanked me profusely before hanging up. _I'll blame that on excitement_. I avoided the tall grass in the Forest and just climbed down the numerous ledges along the way, wanting to get to Briney and head for Dewford before sunset. It had been a long, stressful, emotional day. I wanted a nap.

* * *

**A/N:** I never really liked Rustboro, can you tell? Just kind of bores me, I guess; not to mention I alway play with Torchic so it's a bitch to get through. Ugh. Whatever. Anyway, shout out to my six new reviews! **Sahxyel, Dodectron, Ninthlite, Apples Who Dance With Oranges, **and **GoodWillHunting**! You guys rock! One more chapter and I ought to be caught up with my game (if I don't play anymore until then... which, I probably will. Heh. Oh well.) Hope y'all like it!


	6. Fifth Fiasco

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Five:**

"Finally!" I gasped as I threw myself onto the sandy shores of Dewford. "Land! Sweet, beautiful, non-bouncing land!"

It was about six o'clock at night when I found the old sea Captain in his cottage on the beach back near Petalburg (which was farther out of the way than the game alluded to, trust me) and that was three hours ago. We took out his rather rusty boat from the pier it had been tied to and set off, making our way across the lively waves of Route 105. I found out a few things on this water-way trip – the first being that I was not a sea-faring creature and I got sea sick every few minutes, my body racked with shudders and trying to dispel a meal that no longer existed in my stomach. The second thing I found out was that not everything was as it seemed in this world. How? Eric called me about halfway through the journey.

"How the hell did you get this number?" I questioned, clinging tightly to the used-to-be silver railing. "I just got it a few hours ago!"

"I have no earthly idea," he admitted. "I just came in from – what was it, Route 102? Something like that – training that Zigzagoon I'd leant Wally and this yellow device was on my desk in the back room. I picked it up and it started ringing, calling you I suppose," he sounded just as confused as I was.

"So a PokéNav just appeared out of nowhere?"

"Is that what this is?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. Aren't you a game designer for this?" Shouldn't he know what a PokéNav looks like?

"Well, we never actually made a sprite for it in the game, though they had rough sketches for us, we didn't think it was a necessary inclusion."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh."

We hit a particularly rough wave then, and I had to pull the device from my ear to cover my mouth with the hand not clinging for dear life to falling apart ship. "Uhhhh," I moaned.

"What was that?" Eric asked, sounding slightly worried. I would be too if I called someone only to hear sounds of what appeared to be a cat dying.

"N-nothing," I stuttered, trying to breathe normally. _God, I am never doing this again…except to Slateport. But after that, __never again__; screw the Experience Share in Rustboro, I'll get it before I have to battle Eric._ It was making me sick just thinking about all the hours I would need to endure of this. "So, it just started dialing my number?"

"Pretty much as soon as I picked it up," he clarified. I sighed.

"This just gets more and more confusing," I lamented, partly from the overall experience this world was giving me and partly at the shaky turn the boat just took.

"No kidding," Eric agreed.

That was pretty much the bulk of the conversation except for me stuttering out the events that'd happened since I'd last seen him – most importantly the fact that Roxanne had been replaced and that my PokéNav had an upgrade it shouldn't have had – and our goodbyes. For the rest of the horrible, torturous trip I just closed my eyes, stuck my head between my knees, and curled up to the side of the ship, praying for it to end… which leads us back to my thanking the gods that we'd finally reached Dewford.

"Oh-ho, what a refreshing trip that was, eh lass?" Briney chuckled heartily at me. From my position on the ground (face half planted in the sand and hands gripping the grains tight enough to leave freckles in my skin) I glared up at him. _Crazy bastard._ But I wasn't about to look a gift boat in the rudder, so I just mumbled some half-agreeable phrase and asked him when he was leaving again. "Oh, anytime you're ready. Peeko and I haven't taken this old thing out in a long time and it'll be nice to visit with the locals again."

"Okay, well, I'm going to go to the Pokémon Center," I informed him as I started to walk away. To myself, I mumbled, "Maybe they'll have some sort of sea-sickness pill or something." One could only hope.

Unfortunately, the Pokémon Center had no such thing (though Nurse Joy did inform me of something similar for Pokémon, which was pretty useless since you could just keep them in their Pokéballs). I spent the night, once again, on a cot and got up early so that I could find Stephen and do some training in the Granite cave; I knew my Pokémon were going to be no match for Brawley at this point, no matter that I had a bird type and a psychic type on my side. _If he even _is _Brawley_, my mind supplied as I walked into the dank cave on the other side of the island. It was a plausible idea, I admitted. So far both Gym Leaders had been people from my world and who's to say the rest won't be as well? But _why_? Like everything else, I pushed it to the back of my mind, knowing it would only lead to headaches and unanswered questions.

"You don't want to be going down there without this, lass," a man draped in climbing equipment said to me just as I found the ladder leading to the underground second floor of the cave. He pushed a disk into my hand – what I knew to be the HM Flash – and said, "You can use that to see down there, but you be needing the Dewford Gym Badge for it to work."

"Oh, well, thanks for the HM but I think I can manage," I told him, trying to hand back the Flash. I never used it in the game anyway and besides, here Vexyl could just use his ember to light the way.

He shook his head. "Keep it in case you change your mind; never know when a young thing like you'll need the protection."

"Uh, right." Creeper. I watched him walk away, not turning my back; he was freaky and almost sounded like he was hitting on me… ugh. _Dirty old man._ I knew it was bitchy, but the lack of sleep and stressful few days were making me less than pleasant and I couldn't really make myself care.

I shook my head and headed down the ladder only to find myself immersed in pitch black darkness. I nabbed what I figured was Vex's Pokéball and called him forth. "Use ember to light the way, okay?" I told him.

"Tor," he glared at me, standing his ground as I tried to walk away. I blinked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Torchic-chic," he insisted. I had no clue what he was alluding to, but tried to appease him.

"I'm sorry?" I held up my hands in confusion. He let out a burst of flame from his beak but shook his head, walking in front of me. I followed after him, confused, but let him lead the way. My Pokémon were weird. It was a few minutes later when I decided that I should probably catch a Pokémon while I was in here, though I had yet to see one. Once more, I could hear flying-types above me (this time Zubat instead of Wingull and Taillows) but I couldn't see them and didn't know how to battle them with them so far away. I sighed. Maybe there was a Geodude or something here… but before I could contemplate that further, I tripped.

"Ah!" I yelled as I fell onto a damp, hard floor. My voice echoed at an annoyingly high pitch that the cavernous room cackled back at me. Sitting up on my knees, I rubbed at my injured elbow as I looked around to punish whatever rock I'd fallen over. "Light it up over here, Vexyl."

"Tor," he replied lazily as he flashed a spark of flames next to my head, too close for comfort.

"Hey, watch it!" I said, batting at my hair, paranoid that it had caught on fire.

"Tor," he repeated. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but snap out of it." He huffed at me but kept his weak flame steady. I finally looked down at the ground, searching for the perpetrating stone, only to find a small, steel covered body.

"Aaa-ron," the Aron stated proudly, lifting his tiny head to its highest.

"Well, someone has Napoleon Syndrome," I said. Apparently he understood me as he yelled out his namesake and tried to do a tackle my way. "Ember, Vex."

"Orr!" my Torchic said as he released a slightly stronger flame at the steel type.

"Aron!" the wild Pokémon protested, trying to run away from the flame. He dodged around a boulder just as I'd grabbed an empty Pokéball and disappeared from the small lighted area Vex had created.

"Hey, wait! Come back, I was going to catch you!" I yelled, my voice once more echoing. I rolled my eyes before closing them and let out a deep sigh. "Dammit, well there goes that chance," I grumbled. Vex seemed to chuckle at me evilly and I opened my eyes to give him a reprimand. "Wh – Ah!" I yelled again and once more fell over. Big, ruby red eyes had been a mere inch in front of my face and they practically glowed in the dim light of fire Vex emitted. I rubbed my behind this time and looked around frantically for whatever had been near me. I caught the gleam of the light from the corner of my eye and ordered Vex to throw an ember that way.

"Sableye!" the half ghost, half dark type yowled. His small, purple body appeared before us as he was busy trying to dodge the flames. My eyes widened.

"Holy –!" I gasped. First a Ralts, now a Sableye? No matter that this was certainly the strangest 'game' of Pokémon I'd played, no matter that it was the hardest, it was the _luckiest_. I enlarged the Pokéball in my hand and tossed it at the already injured ghost. I clenched my hands as it tilted this way and that, nearly outside the range of light until … _poof!_ "No!" I growled. He'd reappeared! The Pokéball lay next to him, broken in half and useless.

"Saaa-eye!" he crowed, lifting his arms and thrusting them at Vex. The light went out and just a moment later bright, gleaming eyes were once more apparent in the dark, this time on my Torchic. _Night Shade_, I realized.

"Ember again, Vex, he's right in front of you!" He did as commanded and the ghost was brought out of his attack, looking even worse than before; Vex looked startled and wide eyed. I knew the feeling. I grabbed around in my pack, finally finding what I was looking for, and tossed it at the Sableye. The ball encompassed the Pokémon, holding him tightly. It was a full minute and a half before the Great Ball finally released a _ding_. I had captured a Sableye! "Finally, a dark type!" I squealed, hugging the orb to my chest and throwing a grin at Vexyl. "And a rare one, too!" I paused for a minute, mid-happy dance, and frowned. "We're going to pretend that I saw this before that dumb Aron, okay?"

"Torchic," Vex nodded, now mostly composed.

With my Pokémon loyal, who would tell on me? I grinned again and we wandered off.

It took another thirty minutes but Vex and I had made our way to Stephen; I had a dirty hand from trailing it on the cave wall, but it was worth it to finally get out of there.

"So help me, if we see one more Zubat…" I threatened, glaring around the almost too-bright top floor of Granite Cave. Vex chirped weakly in agreement. "Here, get some rest, return." I recalled him and tucked the ball into my fanny pack. I entered the door-like hole in the wall of the cave almost immediately running into a silver haired, steely-eyed Stephen. "Oh, hi!"

"Hello." He tilted his head to the side. "Who are you?"

"I'm Lucy. Uh, here," I pulled the Letter from my pack, unfolding it and handing it to the bewildered looking man. "This is from your Grandfather back in Rustboro. He asked me to give it to you."

"Oh, well, thanks." He reached to his own pack (lucky him got a backpack) and pulled out a disk. "In thanks, have this TM, Steel Wing."

"Thank you."

Overall it was a very polite, simple meeting and I had a feeling it probably would have been easier just to have waited for him to leave the cave rather than going in after him, but what's done is done. I sighed as he disappeared down the ladder. I wasn't looking forward to going through the twists and turns of that mess again. Glancing off to the right, I saw a steep ledge and peered over it. The ledge was about ten feet up from the next flat surface and I figured I could make it down without a problem. That first ledge (there was another one after it that would lead me back to the bottom floor of the cave) was a doozy, though, and I ended up on my back and writhing in self-pitying pain for a minute before getting up and tossing myself over the second ledge. I was thankful to have landed on my backside on that one (though it hurt like a bitch, it was better than on my back) and pulled out Jesus' Pokéball. We spent the next few hours grinding away on the first floor of the cave; I am proud to say she learned both Double Team and Teleport by the time we were through. The latter ability was helpful since we were both damn tired by the end of our training session and she just zapped us back to the Pokémon center. As I handed over my Pokémon to Nurse Joy, I asked her something that had been plaguing me since I had released Vex earlier.

"Nurse?" I asked.

"Yes, Lucy?" she smiled at me after handing off the balls – three red and white ones and a new, shiny navy one – to her Chansey.

"I was wondering what could change the behavior of a Pokémon?" It wasn't something discussed in the games and I was distrustful of any of the frills that fan fiction had deemed 'true.'

"Well," she started, putting a finger up to her lip, "it depends on the Pokémon, really. Which one are you talking about?"

"My Torchic. He's always been very… well, not docile, but loyal and unquestioning. I used him earlier, though, and his behavior was different, more haughty and angry, I guess," I shrugged, not really knowing how to describe him.

"Well, it could be one of two things with a fire type. He could either be close to evolving," the thought excited me and I let out a smile, "or he feels that you've done something that he's not agreeable with." I furrowed my brows.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, fire types are hard creatures to predict but it's generally accepted that the only way to really Master them is to fight and catch them – unless you get them early enough," she amended, probably thinking about the fire-type starter Pokémon. "It's also accepted that they have their own strong sense of morals, which is why they're so fiercely loyal. But sometimes when a Trainer does something to upset them, they won't hesitate to let you know you've done wrong. But then," she smiled, "it could be that he's just grumpy." I nodded and thanked her before walking off. Staring out the window and to the splashing waves of the ocean, I thought about what might be happening with Vexyl.

Firstly, he may be close to evolving – which I thought was probable, since my Torchics in the past had near about always evolved at this point in the game. _It could be that_, I thought, but something niggled at my mind. _"… they have their own strong sense of morals… won't hesitate to let you know you've done wrong_…" That sentence really rang through me and my mind flashed back to the battle with Stephanie and Whismur's death. _Fiercely loyal. Strong morals. So Vex agrees, then,_ I thought sadly. It seemed he felt that my betrayal to Whismur's loyalty was wrong, too, and was ready to censure me for it. I deserved it, I knew; I also knew that I'd let him, but where I drew the line was him disobeying me. _He can think what he likes but he's still my Pokémon and he's going to have to learn that I'm the Trainer here and to heed by my decisions_. I knew it sounded mean – hell, it sounded harsh in _my_ ears – but it was true. I couldn't do this without him and I wouldn't, either. I could only hope he felt the same because the last thing I wanted to do was force him into anything.

I pushed it to the back of my mind – a place that was becoming full with thoughts of home, questions about the future, and my own insecurities – and started strategizing for my battle with "Brawley" later that afternoon.

* * *

"Ready over there, little chicky?" Hiro asked from the opposite side of the battle arena.

"Ready as ever," I called back.

I had been right that the Brawley of the game would be replaced by someone 'normal.' His name was Hiro Yanagiswa and he was an American-born Asian from Hawaii. Funnily enough, he wasn't a fighter though it seemed his favorite type of Pokémon was the physically able; also strange was that, unlike Stephanie, Eric, and I, he had been playing the Ruby Version of the Hoenn League while we had been on Sapphire. Just as questions were being answered more were being asked. Like the fact that Eric had been about to battle Norman in his game when he blacked out and the fact that Stephanie was in the process of catching a rock type – not to mention that I had _just_ turned on my game – when it happened to her, and look where we all ended up? There was some sort of logic to this and I was just starting to see it.

"Go, Machop!" Hiro called, releasing his a Pokémon the size of a five year old.

"Get 'im, Jesus!" I released her onto the field. Hiro blinked.

"Jesus?" he asked, tone inquisitive. I sighed.

"It's a long story," I shook my head.

"O-kay… whatever. Machop, Bulk Up!"

Hiro's Machop took in a deep breath before snorting it out and pawing at the ground with his feet; he looked confident and I knew his technique had worked.

"Double Team!" I ordered and my Ralts started to move so quickly I could barely keep track of her. "Confusion!" She paused, raised her hands, and started the attack. The air in front of her started to shimmer and Hiro looked panicked. _Looks like he knows his type advantages_, I though, smirking.

"Uh, Seismic toss!" he commanded. His little blue Pokémon lifted a chunk of the arena from right out of the floor and threw it at my psychic just as she released her attack. The Confusion hit our opponent full on and broke the chunk of rock into pieces; they rained down upon her but she received minimal damage. Machop, on the other hand…

"Machop is unable to battle!" the ref called over the mic.

"Machop, return." Hiro shook his head, grinning. "Can't believe you were lucky enough to capture a freaking _Ralts_, little chicky," he chuckled.

"Trust me, I know," I grinned back. "But wait till you see my next Pokémon." I recalled Jesus and pulled out a navy ball.

"Go, Makuhita!" Hiro announced, tossing his ball into the ring. I followed his example.

"Let's show them, Gabriel!" My Sableye burst out from his ball and the room seemed to darken.

"Daaaamn," Hiro whistled.

"Trust me," I repeated, laughing. "I know."

The battle ended pretty quickly after that, the combination of the training I'd gone back to do with Gabriel and Makuhita's inability to hit the ghost were deadly. I couple of Night Shades and Astonishs later and the tubby yellow creature was down for the count and I received my Knuckle Badge. After that I exchanged numbers with Hiro – he was pretty fun to talk to – and my team and I spent the night celebrating on a victory that had no collateral damage attached. In the morning we'd set off for Slateport, but for now we'd take the happy times as they came, never knowing when the next time would be.

* * *

**A/N:** And the second badge is MIIIINE. Without death. I'm so happy. _Not to mention_ the fact that I caught a Sableye; you're probably all wondering about that aren't you? Well this is what happened in the game: I was in the cave. I found an Aron I was going to catch. And then... Crit Hit happened and the damn thing fainted. Next Pokemon I ran into was a Sableye (I was surprised, so far the only place I thought they showed up at was Victory Road until thiss) and I just could _not_ pass the chance up. So I broke the rules. All rules are made to be broken, right?...right? Sigh. Go ahead, yell at me, you know you want to. BUT I promise to make up for it... at some point. Eh.

Now to my _fabulous_ reviewers: **Dodectron, Sahxyel, **and **Ie-maru**! You guys rock!


	7. Sixth Spar

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Six:**

"Urg," I grumbled, curling up on the sandy floor beneath me.

It was the next morning and I'd just arrived at Slateport's warm and breezy beach after my second three hour trip in as many days with a far-too chipper Briney; were all sailors this cheery in the morning? And I fool you not when I say 'morning.' The sun had barely risen, the sky still had a tint of navy and purple on the far horizon, and I had been up since almost before I fell asleep. My Pokémon and I had stayed up well into the night celebrating our easy victory at Dewford, not knowing that the crazy Captain would come for us at near five in the morning stating that it was 'time to board ship, lass.' I envied them their Pokéballs, where they could sleep in peace and not be bothered by a talkative old man and his shrill pet Wingull.

As I hugged the ground, still half nauseous from our trip, Briney was going on about some soda shop or another that was up the beach a ways. I didn't pay attention because, one, I already knew of the shop, and, two, I couldn't be bothered to care after having spent my first few waking hours in torture. Despite all my complaining, though, the sunrise was beautiful with the colors clear of the pollution that clouded the skies back home.

"Yeah, mm-hmm," I agreed half-heartedly as Briney babbled.

"Well, that'll be suitin' you then, lass. Remember, just call me if you need anything!" he shouted before speeding away on his ship. I blinked after him. _Wasn't he supposed to stay or something?_ I didn't really care – it wasn't as if I was going to ask him for another lift. At least, not in this lifetime. I finally pulled myself off the ground a few minutes later when I felt well enough not to spew what little breakfast I had eaten and started off in the general direction of the soda shack. I passed by a few early birds – a sailor, a couple of kids who lived in town – and my partners and I won our two battles (the kids had insisted on a team match and I agreed, admitting it would be good experience for my Pokémon); Gabriel learned Fury Swipes while Tilly learned Rollout, I was proud to say. _They're getting so strong_.

I arrived at the soda shack at about half-past eight and took on the three water-type trainers inside, earning myself a six-pack of some fizzy, almost-cherry tasting soda from the owner; I split a can of it with my Pokémon. Vex seemed to enjoy the fizz while Jesus laughed at every drop that passed over her tongue; Tilly, on the other hand, didn't find it to her liking and I couldn't persuade Gabriel to come out of my shadow long enough to try any. All in all, after the rough start, our morning was an enjoyable one and I decided to use some of my hard earned cash (which, between the trainers on the beach and the tournament at the shop, I had almost doubled since arriving in Slateport) to wander the market with.

The stalls were vast, innumerable, and bright with every color I could think of. In one stand, a man and his daughter sold Pokémon dolls that were used for decoration (I was tempted to buy an Umbreon keychain, but stilled myself) while at another stall a husband and wife sold home-made beach towels embroidered separately with almost thirty different kinds of Pokémon in magnificent colors; they were almost as beautiful as the Pokémon themselves, in my opinion. But, by far the most enjoyable stand (not to mention practical) was the Trainer Supplies tent at the far end of the market, right next to the gate.

"Ah, welcome!" an elderly man grinned at me as I looked at his products. There were Running Shoes in a variety of colors, backpacks – _Finally,_ I thought as I bought myself an olive colored string-tied bag that looked like it could hold quite a bit – and gloves, and a belt that's only purpose was the hold my Pokéballs (which I bought because it was easier than rummaging around my fanny pack for a Pokéball). The last thing that the vendor stocked (and, to me, the most important) was durable, comfortable _clothing_.

During this 'expedition,' as I was calling it, my clothes had become filthy and worn and I was only three days in. I also had no way to wash them; without other clothes to change into, I couldn't sit around the Pokémon Center lobby in the buff while my clothes washed in the back room. This little inconvenience was yet another thing that hadn't been addressed in discussions back in the Real World. I made the executive decision in buying a pair of loose, comfortable, black pants that reminded me of Brendan's in Emerald, and another tank top, this time in red. I figured that I'd go with the black/red color scheme the game wanted in the first place as I bought these. I also bought a blue sleeping bag that I knew would probably come in handy should I need to stop and rest while climbing the mountain north of here. I figured my jacket would last for a long while and if not, Hoenn wasn't cold in the slightest.

Actually, the weather down here in Slateport quite reminded me of the vacation my family had taken to Florida one summer. It might have been the smell of the ocean or maybe the friendly smiles everyone's faces held or maybe even just the simplicity of the society that the world of Pokémon had but… I was really starting to enjoy it here. I immediately felt bad upon realizing this. Had it really just been the day before yesterday that I longed for the noise my siblings made? And the day before that I was just trying to get some sleep when all this happened?

Lost in my thoughts, I found myself at the Museum. It was missing the Team Aqua grunts on the outside of the building, but I figured that they'd probably already gone in. Things were different here than they were in the game so why not this? I headed in and paid the 50 pokébucks to enter and, sure enough, the navy-clad members were milling about, trying and failing to look like innocent by-standers. I think it had something to do with them looking like Pirates. I walked around the grunts, avoiding eye contact and keeping my head down until I reached the stairs. Safely on the second floor, I looked around. The first half of the room was empty and I nearly thought the second half was, too, until I spotted a nerdy looking man poking his head out from behind a glass case.

"Oh, eh, hello," he blinked large, bespectacled eyes at me. "I'm Mr. Stern – or, er, Captain Stern, really. Who are you?"

"Oh, good, I was hoping that you were him," I said before rummaging around my back pack; I'd put on my new belt earlier (equipped with Pokéballs) and placed my new purchases, plus my fanny pack, into my new bag and marveled at how much it held. I pulled out a brown paper wrapped box from said bag and handed it over to Stern. "I'm Lucy and Mr. Stone asked me to delivery this to you."

"Oh!" he grinned a little too widely, "that's great! These are the final parts I need for my Submarine. Did you know that –"

"Hey, hold up there, you!" a voice from the door shouted. Stern and I turned to look at the intruder – or, intruders – and found ourselves face to face with some Team Aqua Grunts. "We need those parts for the Boss's plan!"

"Oh, great, more of you people," I said sarcastically. "Sorry, no. You'll have to get sucked into your own game to get those Goods."

"We – wait, what?" the first guy asked, clearly confused by my statement.

"Forget it, man, she's crazy," the second said, disturbed and eyeing me suspiciously.

"No! We want those Goods!" the first denied, tossing out a Pokéball. "Go, Carvanha!" A red, blue, and yellow fish Pokémon flopped out, large jowls agape.

"Let's get 'im, Tilly!" I knew Jesus would be useless against these guys, dark types being immune to psychic attacks, and I hadn't battled enough with Gabriel to be confident in his abilities just yet. "Tail whip!"

"Bite!" idiot one commanded. The attack landed on Tilly's tail, effectively voiding any stat reduction she may have done. I winced.

"Roll out!" I commanded.

"Ma-RILL!" she huffed, pulling herself into a tight ball and rolling at mid-speed at the Carvanha. The thing couldn't move, being out of water, and took the hit. Tilly rolled herself farther back than she started and I realized she had a small scrape from the fish's rough skin; I could do nothing about it though since her attack was continuous. She rolled faster this time and hit the thing harder, gaining more damage from both the skin and the water gun attack that our opponent commanded. The water gun didn't do much, but it was enough to slow her down. The next hit Till managed to get across finally put the thing out and I recalled her, wary of the little red scratches she had on her bright blue skin.

"You did great, love," I complimented as I replaced her Pokéball with Vex's in my hand. I released him and our opponent threw out a Poochyena. "Peck!" I called, ready and willing to use his new move.

"Torchic!" he released a vicious series of stabs at the puppy who tried to bite him to no success. The Poochyena fainted quickly and my fire starter began crowing proudly. Suddenly, he started to puff his feathers and glow… glow – he was glowing! He was _evolving!_ The white light that blanketed him grew, taking on a new shape. The light faded a few moments later and I was staring in awe at my brand new Combusken. "Coooommmm!" Vex announced, voice deeper and eyes sharper as they trained on the Grunts.

"Urg, get him!" idiot two commanded, throwing out his own useless Carvanha. I smirked.

"Double kick, Vexyl," I purred. Fighting moves were _fantastic _against dark types, I knew. Sure enough, the fish was down and out after the double hitter landed, his Poochyena companion following not long after. Both grunts were glaring, but it was marred by a nervous sweat I could clearly see gathering on their faces.

"What is taking so long up here?" a voice boomed from the doorway accented in something that I would almost call Brooklyn-esque. I looked over to find a man draped in black clothing, from his slacks to his half-buttoned shirt, though his bandana was the color of the ocean and decorated in the A-shape of the Team Aqua logo. I had to admit, he was a handsome man what with his tan skin and muscled form… I shook myself. _Ew, Lucy, what the hell?_ I was blaming this brief bit of insanity on the heat. The man took me in, my Combusken standing in front of me, feathered hands clenched and ready to attack. "Heh? Oh, you must be that Lucy girl that one of my Grunts was telling me about. You don't look like much. Hn," he turned back to his boys. "Come on, we don't need the parts anymore." They started to leave but he paused at the door, turning his head back to me. "You'd be better off leavin' us alone, girlie."

I watched him walk away; I knew I wouldn't let him and his plans be; I couldn't. Not only because it wasn't part of the 'game' – though I had long started to consider this as more than a game – but because it would be wrong not to try and halt him. How could I knowingly let someone harm the planet in such a way? How could I let him harm people and animals and _not_ try my very best to stop it? It was unthinkable.

"T-thank you," Stern told me, clutching his package before rushing out of the Museum. I shook my head at the abrupt end to our ordeal and looked over at Vexyl.

"What do you think about all that?" I asked him.

"Combusken."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

After looking around the Museum for a bit, I walked up to Route 110 to do some training and get my catch out of the way. Again, I was hoping for a Poochyena – I had Gabriel for a dark type, sure, and I loved him, but nothing beat a good old fashioned pure dark type – and again I was disappointed. Instead, the first Pokémon I ran into was a Minun, probably the most useless electric type I could think of except for maybe Plusle.

"Well, at least you're not pink," I sighed, latching his Pokéball to my belt. I looked around for a Pokémon to sic Gabriel on. Some grass rustled a few feet away and I parted it with my food only to find a Poochyena. "Oh, come on!" I hit my head with my palm and grumbled, letting loose Gabe to take my frustrations out on the poor puppy. That taken care of, I headed North a little more and battled a woman with – ironically enough – a set of Plusle and Minun; I took her out easily enough with Gabe and started out West to fight the few trainers out there. I ground through the area, equating the rise in strength in my Pokémon to leveling up, before heading back towards Slateport's Pokémon Center for some rest, a shower, and to wash my clothes – not necessarily in that order.

I yawned as I pulled on my new clothes and headed to the main lobby. I was lucky enough to snag a couch in the corner of the room and pulled the thin blanket Nurse Joy provided around my shoulders. With thoughts of Team Aqua, my newly acquired Minun, and the upcoming match with Brendan, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I did some early morning grinding on Route 110 before I headed to the middle of the path in search of my nemesis. I had decided to train with Minnow, my Minun, but he was pretty much incapable of anything resembling a powerful attack, a decent defense, or anything not pertaining to showing off in some way or another. I figured I'd scope out the Contest Center in Verdanturf when I got there and see if it was worthwhile to enter him in one of those. I wiped my glasses with the bottom of my red tank top as I reached the middle of the path. I looked around; there was water to my left with what seemed to be a tall tree growing from the water and on my right there was more ocean and a few rocks sticking up from the sea floor. Above me and just over the water was the Bike Path that I longed to zip across. Surrounding my feet was tuft after tuft of tall grass and I could see the Pokémon running about. What I didn't see, on the other hand, was Brendan Birch.

"Oh, it's you again," said a familiar, sarcasm-laced voice from behind me. I turned and spotted Brendan, on foot resting on the ground to steady the bike he rode.

"I could say the same, Birch," I replied in the same tone. He let out a slow smirk and pulled out a Pokéball.

"How about a battle? I _know_ I can beat you now," he taunted. I narrowed my eyes.

"It'll be my pleasure to prove you wrong," I grabbed Gabriel's ball and Brendan and I called our Pokémon at the same time. "Get 'im, Gabe!"

"Do it, Shroomish!"

Our Pokémon appeared, mine in a more dramatic way then our opponent. Gabriel came out in a flurry of shadows, making our area of grass appear darker than the rest of the path. Brendan's eyes narrowed.

"You did _not_ catch that as a first Pokémon," he accused, voice rough in anger and finger pointing at my Sableye.

"Oh, yeah?" I replied, trying not to sound nervous. "Prove it." He huffed. "That's what I thought. Gabe, night shade!"

"Saaableee," he hissed at the Shroomish, waving his arms and drenching us even further into darkness. Suddenly, large red eyes were glaring down at the grass-type, who flinched back in response, and Gabe snuck up behind it and attacked him.

"Shroo!" it shouted.

"Stun spore, Shroomish!" Brendan ordered his Pokémon. Gabriel was too close to avoid the hit and was paralyzed. He let off the shade and light filtered back to us, showing that he was now standing in his original position but very, very still. "Mega Drain!"

"Damn," I muttered as Gabriel was hit, unable to dodge the attack. "I forgot he had that attack."

"Ha! Some trainer you are," he mocked me. I glared.

"You're gonna regret that when I beat you, boy," I threatened. "Gabe, try a fury swipes!"

"Sa-sa," he agreed, breaking through his paralysis long enough to melt through the shadows over to the Shroomish. He got off three good hits before he headed back. By now, both Pokémon were looking tired.

"Let's finish this, Shroomish."

"You wish," I told Birch. "Do another Night Shade!"

"Mega Drain!"

For a long, silent moment neither Brendan nor I could see who had landed their hit.

"Mi-mish…" I heard the weak cry of Brendan's Pokémon. The darkness let up again to show us that Gabriel had won, though barely. We returned both our Pokémon.

"You're better than I thought you would be," I reluctantly complimented. He gave me a stiff nod.

"You too."

It was as close to a civil conversation as we'd ever had, but it was enough to release the furious tension of the battle and would benefit us both. Fighting angry never lead to a victory, for either side.

"C'mon out, Numel!" he threw his Pokéball and the oblivious half fire, half ground type emerged.

"This is a job for Tilly," I remarked and tossed her container.

"Mar-ILL!" she exclaimed, instantly getting into a fighting stance.

"Not unheard of…" I heard Brendan mutter to himself. I rolled my eyes; sure, Gabe's capture wasn't really on the up and up, but could he blame me? Apparently.

"Water Gun, Tills," I told her, trying to get his Pokémon down while he was distracted.

Brendan took that moment to look up and order, "Tackle attack!"

The Numel hefted her body forward ignoring the water gun Tilly had hit her with, and charged. _Shit_, I thought. I'd forgotten that Numel had the special ability to fight through the pain.

"Roll out!" I countered. My Marill balled herself up and charged towards the Numel, body as hard as rock. They crashed and Tilly unrolled herself, looking worse for wear. I pulled out my PokéDex to check how much damage each of them had and was surprised but happy to find that Tilly, while hurt, wasn't nearly as bad as Brendan's Numel. "One more water gun ought to do it, Tills."

"Maa," she agreed, huffing. She puffed up and released her water gun on the defenseless Numel. Our opponent collapsed, exhausted.

"Good job, Numel," Brendan complimented as he returned his Pokémon before grabbing his last one. "Let's make this starter against starter, yeah?"

"Agreed," I nodded, letting the red light of the Pokéball engulf my water type. I pulled out the familiar red and white orb and we once again tossed them at the same time.

"Marshtomp!" the Pokémon who emerged from Brendan's ball roared. He was still a cute sky blue with orange on his cheeks and stomach, but I also knew he was a much more powerful Pokémon.

"Com-Combusken!" Vex cawed back, scraping the ground with his claw.

"Water Gun!" Brendan ordered.

"Dodge it and use a Double Kick!" I told Vex. He used his powerful legs to side step the water attack, but his left leg got drenched anyway and it slowed him down and hurt him. I winced.

"Comb-uh!" he screeched as he landed the first kick. He brought his second foot around but it only scratched at the Marshtomp. Vexyl bounded back just as Brendan ordered the next attack.

"Sling a Mud Shot at him!" he hollered. The water type dug up a large ball of mud he'd created with his water gun and slung it at my Pokémon.

"Vex, ember it!" If I could just get it to harden up… Yes! The mud formed into a loose sort of rock, a bit like clay, as it headed towards Vex. "Kick it!" The rock broke into several pieces and scattered mid-air. The damage Vex took from the rocks wasn't great, but it wasn't as bad as the original mud shot could have been. "Double kick Marshtomp!"

"Combusken-bus!"

"No!" Brendan denied, scrambling for an attack. "Water gun!"

"Dodge and just do the single kick," I commanded. Vex brought down one leg from his mid-air jump to dodge the attack before kicking and clawing the Marshtomp with his other foot. He was panting by this point and I knew he couldn't take another hit and our opponent was in much the same position. I was ready to call out Jesus to finish off the blue Pokémon when he collapsed into the grass.

"Marshtomp," Brendan and his Pokémon gasped. "You did great, buddy," the white haired boy said, patting the finned head before returning him to his ball. He stood up and offered me the money I'd earned. "You really are a great trainer."

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

We stayed quiet for a moment before Vex alerted me to his weariness. I returned him.

"I guess… I guess I'll see you around some time, then," Brendan said at long last. "I'll be better the next we meet – so be prepared!"

"Yeah, right," I gave a tired sort of laugh and we parted ways, each better for the fight. I felt lighter in a way as I headed up to Mauville, the sun on my back.

* * *

**A/N:** And there is chapter six! Yay! :3 It took longer to write this chapter and I'm not sure why. Maybe because of the many, many battles? At least, it felt like a lot of fighting this chapter. Maybe I just need to start playing again... Also, BIG chapter next chapter. PLOT AHOY. Ahem. Anyway... how do you all like the new clothes I gave her? I never really thought that the outfit they put May in was the most practical, so I decided to adress the issue and this was as soon as I could do it with it being realistic. ALSO, **I have pictures of her on my profile.** Just look under my Update section on my profile and you'll see it there. I'll let you know if I post anything else there, too, okay?

So, like? Hate?


	8. Seventh Sadness

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Seven:**

_I yawned as I lay back on my little twin bed, my feet near about hanging over the edge. "Finally, some rest and relaxation," I breathed, stretching out my arms. My sister, whom I shared my little ten by ten room with, was at a friend's for the weekend, giving me the room to myself; not to mention I had finally finished the three rolls of film I had to take for my Photo I class, added the finishing touches to my History essay, and completed the last chapter of problems for my Math class. Life was good when homework was done. "An entire two days to do nothing," I grinned._

"_Lucy!" my mothered yelled from downstairs. I groaned._

"_No, dammit, this is Me Time," I groaned, hitting my head on the pillow._

"_Lucia Marie Spalding!" she called again and I sighed, forcibly removing myself from the bed and heading downstairs. When I got there I could see the mess that the living room was in – papers and crayons littered the floor, juice boxes and cookie crumbs on the table, and kids toys were thrown… well, everywhere – and that my Mom had her purse over her shoulder. "Lucia, you come when I call you," she fussed at me, wiping her hair from her eyes._

"_Si, Madre," I replied in Italian to soften her up; my mother always had a soft spot for her native language._

"_I need to go to the store so you have to watch your siblings," she told me, halfway to the door. Before I had time to protest, she was on the streets of D.C. I turned back to my littlest siblings, the triplets Jonas, Jed, and Lily. My dad had gotten to name the girls and our names all started with Ls (my other sister's name was Lana), while Momma named the boys with Js. I didn't understand their reasoning, but to each their own, I suppose. I myself was named after a great-grandparent I had never, and would never, known._

"_Ucy?" Jeddy asked me, throwing his arms around my knees. "Hug?"_

_I chuckled at him, forgetting my earlier annoyance, and tugged him into my arms. I sat down on the couch and we watched as Jonas and Lily tore through several sheets of paper in an attempt to create whatever it was that four year olds imagined. I let a small smile slip to my face and closed my eyes._

* * *

I opened my eyes, my body jerked awake; I could feel the tears that clouded my vision and didn't even attempt to hold them back. It was the first time I'd dreamt anything since coming to this world and it put an ache in my heart. I knew, in my waking hours, that I missed my family, and how could I not? But I didn't think about them often, too busy with fighting my way through Hoenn to ponder on the loneliness I felt. I had always been an older sibling as long as I could remember. My sister Lana was three years younger than me and when we were kids I'd looked out for her. And then when she grew up and could fend for herself, I'd felt the same loneliness that was thrumming through me now. But when Momma had gotten pregnant again, this time with triplets, and I felt like I had new life. There were going to be three little bodies that would need me, and, sure, it was downright annoying sometimes being the oldest of five, but I was rarely ever alone. Not like I was now.

I felt the urge to wake one of my Pokémon for company, but I knew it wouldn't be the same.

I turned over on the couch, letting the moonlight rest across my back, and closed my eyes. Sleep would be a long time coming.

* * *

The next day – or, was it just later in the day? I couldn't tell – I was very quiet.

I'd pulled out Tilly and Jesus for some training and already we'd beaten a couple of people out for their morning jogs. I was certain that the two of them were close to evolving, but I just wasn't sure when. We'd eventually come to the patches of tall grass that littered the Mauville outer limits and I was sort of happy to catch an Oddish; grass types had never been a strong point of mine so I dropped it off at the Day Care we had passed along the way.

"Good job, Jesus," I told my Ralts after we defeated the third Poochyena in a row, though I lacked both the usual enthusiasm of a win and the frustration of another dark pup getting away. I felt numb, really, and I was fairly certain my Pokémon could tell.

"Ra?" Jesus asked me, clinging to the arm she'd climbed up. She tilted her helmeted head and I gave her a small smile.

"It's nothing, J, really," I shrugged it off.

"Alt-a…" she replied, her voice somehow sad. I paused and gathered her in my arms, sighing.

"Look, it's nothing, really," I told her earnestly, not sure if I was trying to lie to her or myself. "I'm just a little tired, I guess."

"Ral," she said, nodding slightly and hiding her face in my shirt.

I sighed, not knowing what to do to pull her out of this mood. We took a seat under the shade of a tree and Tilly, who had been waddling along beside me, wandered over to the pond we were next to and threw herself in, bobbing at the surface. I pulled out my PokéDex to see if there was anything in there that would help me, though it was unlikely.

"_Ralts_," my PokéDex beeped. "_The Feeling Pokémon. Ralts has the ability to sense the emotions of people. If its trainer is in a cheerful mood, this Pokémon grows cheerful and joyous in the same way._"

"Oh," I said, slightly surprised. I shouldn't have been, but for some reason I was. And then, I felt guilty. "I'm always doing something to you guys, aren't I?"

"Ra-al-a," Jesus said. I didn't know what she was saying, but she put her small arms around my shoulder in a sort of hug and I understood the meaning behind the message. She was either denying that I did anything wrong or accepting and forgiving me for my faults. Either way, I felt a bit better and hugged her back.

"Thanks, J," I said softly and we turned to watch Tilly float around the pond. We stayed like that for a while until the familiar itch of wanting to battle snuck up on me. "C'mon, Tills, time to go!" I called to her. She hopped out of the water and spun, shaking water off her slick body. We headed west until we saw a small sign declaring that we'd just entered Verdanturf Town. Curiously, I headed toward the largest of the three houses just inside the limits of the town and knocked on the door. A middle aged man opened it.

"Hello," he blinked at me. "We weren't expecting anyone today."

"Sorry," I tilted my head, "but, I'm a… friend of Wally's and I was wondering if this was his Uncle's house?"

"Oh! You must be Lucy, then," he said and I nodded. "Yes, well, Wally doesn't have many friends other than his Ralts, so he talks about you all the time."

That was a little creepy actually. I mean, I spent five minutes with the kid and didn't say much to him. I shrugged; who knew, maybe he was as lonely as I was, Pokémon or no.

"Wally!" Wally's Uncle (at least, that's who I assumed he was) called over his shoulder and into a room I couldn't see. A moment later, familiar green hair appeared at the door and the sickly looking Wally wasn't, well, so sickly looking anymore. In fact, he looked quite healthy; his skin wasn't quite as ashen, he'd put on a few pounds, and he didn't hunch over. More importantly, he had a smile on his face and actually met my eyes.

"Lucy, hi!" he waved, smiling at me and enthusiastic. "Guess what?"

"Wha –" I started, but was cut off by an overly excited Wally.

"My Uncle's letting me go on a journey!" he gasped, grinning. I smiled back at his enthusiasm.

"That's great," I told him, really meaning it. I only hoped he didn't lose any of his like I'd lost mine.

"Yeah! I was gonna challenge Watson in Mauville but Uncle didn't think I was ready so I'm going to go through the Rusturf Tunnel when they finish it and start at Rustboro, like you!" He widened his eyes to an almost comical amount. "I know! How about we have a battle before I leave? I bet I can beat you!"

I chuckled at him.

"Don't get your hopes up, Wally, she's got a lot of experience on you," his Uncle told him.

"Oh, come on, Uncle! I can do it," he practically whined. He turned back to me. "Let's go outside, Lucy, we can battle in the yard," he said before darting out the door. His Uncle sighed.

"Go easy on him, will you?" he asked me and I nodded. "He's got a lot of enthusiasm for it, but I just hope that the world is kinder to him than it is most trainers."

"Yeah, I know," I agreed and we met Wally in the front yard, his Ralts already at attention. I nudged Tilly with the toe of my shoe. "You're up, love."

"Marill," she agreed, waddling over to our 'battle field.'

"All right you guys," Uncle started. "These are the rules: don't play it too hard, and two on two." I blinked.

"You have a second Pokémon?" I asked, surprised.

"Yep! I caught him in Petalburg Woods on the move over here," the green haired boy nodded.

"Oh, well, good on you," I told him. "All right, let's start." He nodded.

"Ralts, Confusion!"

"Tail whip, Till."

The Ralts raised his arms and the air around him started to shimmer. Tilly hit him with the ball of her tail and it through off the attack a little bit, but she was still damaged.

"Water gun!" I told her. She stumbled a bit and shot off her attack at… a rock? Dammit, she was confused. Wally smirked, the expression not fitting his face.

"Double Team over there, Ralts, and do a direct hit," he commanded and the little green creature zipped over to Tilly.

"Tilly snap out of it and use tackle while he's close," I ordered. For a moment, I thought she'd just keep up with the water gun on the rock, but she turned, almost tripping, and threw herself at the Ralts. Caught off guard, he took a direct hit and the physical contact pulled my little water mouse out of her funk.

"Ma-RIIIIILL," she shouted, puffing up and squirting water at the psychic.

"Raaalts," he whined, tossed back and into some Tilly-made mud. "Raa."

"Ralts!" Wally gasped and ran over and picked up his starter. Hugging the creature to his chest, he turned to me. "You really are good," he told me, returning his Pokémon and grabbing a different ball.

"Thanks," I told him. "Good job, Tills."

"Maaaa," she sang, hopping around and bouncing her tail. She danced in a circle, the sun glinting off her slick body – at least, that's what I thought was happening, until her whole body started to glow a brilliant white. I grinned, my smile half excited and half amazed. Watching a Pokémon evolve was a beautiful thing.

"Whoa," Wally breathed, body stilled by the sight of my brand-new Azumarill.

"Yeah," I agreed and leapt over to her, hugging her and petting her bunny-like ears. "You look awesome, Tilly!"

"Azuu," she bubbled.

"Just because your Pokémon evolved doesn't mean you'll defeat my next one," Wally promised.

"Oh, don't worry, I won't use Tilly on you; doesn't want to hurt your poor Pokémon too badly, you know," I teased, my body thrummed up with the recent events. "Tilly, return!"

"All right, let's do this, Seedot!" Wally called, tossing out the Pokéball. A moment later a small, acorn shaped Pokémon appeared; I expected to see little black eyes with yellow coloring around them, but was surprised when almost human-like features were engraved upon its face. I blinked disconcertedly at the Pokémon.

"Uh, what's up with… its… face…?" I asked, half-enthralled.

"Oh, well, umm…" Wally stuttered, blushing. "I- I'm not sure, really. I think he may have been attacked or something?"

"I don't think getting attacked would do that to his face," I deadpanned, looking at Wally. He shrugged and I shook my head. "Okay, well… let's get him, Jesus."

"Raaalts," she hummed, getting in position.

"Oh, cool! I didn't know you had a Ralts, too. Well, let's go, Seedy! Bullet seed!" Wally ordered. His Pokémon puffed up a bit like Tilly did when attacking with water gun.

"Double Team, J," I told her. She started to zip about, surrounding the Seedot. Our opponent shot his seeds at Jesus, only hitting one of every three at my speedy Pokémon. "Confusion!"

"Bide!"

A tense moment had us both waiting to see whose would do more damage. Would the glowing red Seedot release its collected energy before the shimmering air around Jesus could attack?

"Ral!"

"Seeed-OT!"

They attacked at the same time, but Jesus' Confusion sent many of the seeds scattering and she got minimal damage whereas Wally's grass type got knocked down.

"Yes!" I crowed, pumping a fist in the air. Suddenly, white light gathered around both the Ralts and the Seedot, encompassing our arena in brilliantly bright white light. When it died down not only had my little Ralts evolved into a beautifully graceful Kirlia, but Wally's Seedot had grown a few feet and had the sharp limbs of a Nuzleaf. Unfortunately, it still had the odd facial features, but they seemed to fit this more powerful version of the Pokémon better as well.

"Cool," Wally grinned, running up to his new Nuzleaf and throwing his arms around it.

"No kidding," I agreed, walking over to my own Pokémon. "Hey there, Jesus; likin' the new bod?" I asked my little ballerina.

"Kirl," she looked up at me and for the first time I could see her eyes for the first time; they were the same pink-ish color of her fins. _M-master?_ I heard the hesitant voice in my head and my eyes widened.

"Was that… you?" I asked, mouth hanging open slightly. She nodded hesitantly, clearly nervous. "Well that's… that's pretty awesome, actually." She looked at me again and I could practically sense her happiness.

"That was a great battle," Wally said once he walked over to us; he was grinning from ear to ear. "It's going to be so much easier going through the Gyms now that one of my Pokémon has already evolved!"

"Especially the first one," I nodded. I gave him some tips on battling Stephanie, the faux-Roxanne, and he babbled on about how pretty (and, yes, he did use that word) my new Kirlia was. As I was about to head back to Mauville, a young woman and a man who looked vaguely familiar ran up to the house.

"Hi, Wanda," Wally waved. "This is my cousin and… her boyfriend?" he tilted his head. "Riley, I thought you were still stuck in Rustboro?" The man shook his head.

"I just finished the Tunnel," he said. Sure enough, his clothes were covered in dirt and dust and smelt like the cave. Wally practically bounded into the air.

"Really? That means I can start my journey!" he grinned and turned to me. "I guess this is bye, for now, Lucy. I'll meet you again and I _will_ beat you!" he declared.

I waved him off and left the town, thinking. _Maybe this isn't exactly like the game, then_, I thought. _After all, I was the one in the game who finished the Tunnel, not the boyfriend. I wonder what other side plots I get to skip. I wonder if the main plot is different_, I furrowed my brow and shook my head as I walked through the Route. I took out my PokéNav to mess with and looked through the contact list while I let Vex out to get some experience. As he swiped and burnt his way through a field of Oddish, I was surprised to see the name 'Roxanne' was inputted. _That wasn't there before_, I though, hitting the call button.

"Hello?" came a voice from the other end, sounding confused.

"Stephanie?" I asked.

"Uh, yes. Lucy?" she asked in return. I nodded then realized she couldn't see me.

"Yeah."

"Is this a PokéNav?" she asked. "It just kind of… appeared."

I furrowed my brow. Well that sounded familiar.

"Strange," I said. "The same thing happened with Eric."

"I wonder what's going on," she contemplated. "But I don't want to give either of us a headache, so how's it been so far?"

We chatted for most of my walk back to the Pokémon Center, me telling her about my travels so far and warning her that Wally was on his way. Vex was much more independent in his new form and had no qualms about fighting by himself, so I just hung back to watch him. It was nice to have a normal conversation with someone, and I felt better than I had all day. She congradulated me on the three evolutions my team had had in two days and chided me for capturing Gabriel. I rolled my eyes. When I was done with my explanation of the last six days she started in on her own, complaining at how boring Rustboro was. She apparently had to teach the snot-nosed brats that had been watching us during our match, which she seemed to enjoy but found a bit boring.

"I think I'll take them on a field trip or something," she thought aloud. "Maybe to the Woods or Route 116?"

"You could do a day trip over to the Contest Hall in Verdanturf since the Tunnel's done," I suggested. I myself had decided to skip out on the Contest Hall since Minnow had finally learned something useful – spark – in a double battle him and Vex had been in.

"Mm, good idea," she approved.

We talked like that for a few more moments and I temporarily forgot that I really wasn't a Pokémon trainer, that I wasn't supposed to be here. It just felt _right_ and I decided to follow my instincts on this one and not question it. It was late afternoon by the time I got back to the Center and I figured that Vex was probably at around a level 25 or so, definitely strong enough to fight the Gym. I wondered for a moment if the Leader would be another Real World person while Nurse Joy did a check up on my Pokémon, and figured it didn't matter. _Not like he'll have much more information for us_, I figured.

I arrived at the Electric Gym at about half past five and was happy to find that the doors were still unlocked.

"Hello?" I called into the vast, brightly lit room.

"And you are?" a voice from my right said. There was a man of about mid-age in the doorway; strangely, he had white hair, purple eyes, and very pale skin.

"I'm Lucy, I'm here to battle the Gym Leader for my Dynamo Badge," I informed the stranger.

"I am he," the man acknowledged. I stared.

"Really? I thought they would have replaced him with someone older," I muttered to myself.

"What was that?" this too-serious man asked.

"You're from the Real World, right?" I asked him. He narrowed his eyes at me and took a step forward; I resisted taking a step back.

"You know of the Real World? The one without Pokémon," he clarified.

"Yes," I nodded. "I was playing my Game Boy when I got sucked into my Sapphire version."

"What?" He seemed confused.

"You have to know the games, right? The Pokémon series?" This was getting weird.

"Let's talk in my office," he pulled me to a bare room through the door he had entered in. "I'll start, all right?"

I nodded. It would be better to clarify what each of us knew first before mystifying the other with our own information.

"My name is Morgan," he started, sitting in a wooden chair behind his desk. I took a matching one in front of it. "When I was twenty two I was in college, studying for my undergraduate degree to get into Princeton Law." Whoa, impressive. "My roommate thought I worked too hard and forced his old Game Boy Color into my hands with a game already loaded. He said it would help me relieve some tension to kill a couple of 'Pocket Monsters.' At the time, I had no knowledge of anything Pokémon. The game turned on and I entered my name after the introduction told me I was playing Pokémon Gold Version and the Professor on the screen explained this world to me," he gestured with his hand.

"So, you had no clue what Pokémon was?" I asked, astounded. Who didn't know Pokémon? He nodded.

"This was ten years ago," he paused, "I assume time has progressed the same way there as it has here. What year is it?"

"2010," I supplied. "So that means you're… what, 32?" He nodded again. "You look older for some reason."

"It's the white hair," he sighed. "I'm an albino."

"Cool."

"Not really. I had a lot of people look down on me for it, which is why I wanted to be a lawyer – to fight the discrimination," he said, a once passionate topic now weary.

"So, what happened, then? After you started the game?" I asked, uncomfortable with t he previous topic.

"I saved it just after I started. I had an exam in the morning and I wanted to get some rest in. Next thing I know I'm in a place I don't know and a woman claiming to be my mother is pushing me out the door to a lab run by Professor Elm."

"That's what happened to me!" I gasped. "Only with Professor Birch, of course."

"I was lost, confused, and scared that first few days. I'd realized what was happening after a few hours, but it of course didn't sit well with me. I thought I was crazy," he gave a half-laugh that sounded strained. I hummed in agreement. "But I continued on. My first Pokémon was a fiery little Chikorita. We breezed through the first few Gyms with ease; followed what I assumed was the plot line of the game. And then Team Rocket happened," his eyes darkened. "I had captured several more Pokémon, one of them being a Magnemite. We fought and fought and fought but we just weren't strong enough. Magnemite evolved and we crushed our last opponent, but the damage was done. My other Pokémon were dead."

I stared at him in horror.

"W-what did you do next?" I asked softly, my hands shaking and my heart aching with sadness.

"I left Johto. I'd become familiar enough with the world that it was almost as if I were born here; I certainly felt like I'd spent my entire life here, at least. We went to Kanto and I collected another Magnemite and a Voltorb. I of course fought several people along the way and word got back to the Pokémon League. I evaded them, for I knew they wanted me for something and I couldn't stand to live under anyone's rules until I'd come to terms with myself. It took years, but I finally came to Hoenn. I'd become widely known as a powerful Electric Trainer and here I captured a Electrike when the League caught up with me. They asked me if I would be their Gym Leader and I agreed; travelling was too tiring for me. As an albino, I have many health problems and this was just the simplest way to keep myself and my remaining Pokémon safe. I can't lose them, too."

We were silent for several long minutes. I was listening to his words as they echoed in my head and I presumed that he was reliving his own terrible past. I didn't know how he had the strength to go on and I respected him for it; this man was too strong to pity.

"I came here the same way as you," I started, now holding Jeddy's Pokéball tightly in my hands. "I started with a Torchic and lost my Wurmple to a cruel trainer." He offered no words of comfort, but I knew he felt empathetic and that was enough. "In Petalburg I met the Gym Leader and we spoke; he's from our world, too." His eyes widened. "As are the Gym Leaders of Rustboro and Dewford."

"But how… I've been looking for years as I travelled and never met a single person from our world," he said, face blank in thought and astonishment. I nodded.

"I was surprised too. And just like us, they had been playing their games when it happened, though they didn't have the experience you had." He furrowed his brow as he looked at me and I could see his clenching hands on the desk. "Eric – Norman – is a game designer for the franchise and was playing on Sapphire on his computer when he faced his counterpart and got sucked into the spot. Stephanie – Roxanne – was capturing a Geodude and was thrown into the Rock Type Gym Leader position in her Sapphire. Hiro – Brawley – has his favorite type as fighting types and so he was pushed into that position. But," I said, "he was playing Ruby version."

"These, these version," he asked, "they were named like the Gold version, yes?" I nodded.

"There are different Generations of the games. Generation I was Kanto – the games for that were Blue, Red, and Yellow; Generation II was Johto – Gold, Silver, and Crystal; Generation III is Hoenn – Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald – and Kanto remakes – Leaf Green and Fire Red; and there are more," I explained. He ruffled his hair with his hand and looked at me. I held his wary purple eyes with my green ones and I was amazed and saddened by the vulnerability in them. _He shouldn't be going through this,_ I thought._ He didn't know the games, he didn't ever wish that Pokémon were real – not like me or Stephanie or any other fan. Why would this happen to _him_?_

"What," he cleared his throat when his voice cracked. "What was the objective of the games?"

"Well, each game starts the same and has a basic plot line. There are Gyms you have to beat and the League, of course. But in each game there are also what's known as the bad guys. Team Rocket for Johto and Kanto," I paused when he winced until he nodded for me to continue, "and Hoenn has Teams Aqua and Magma. Hoenn had a somewhat different plot, though."

"How so?"

"Well, in Ruby Version, the player fights against Team Magma with the aid of Team Aqua; in Sapphire, it's the opposite; but in Emerald, you fight against both teams," I explicated.

"So the objective of the games are to defeat the antagonists?" Morgan asked. I nodded. "Then if I had finished my journey… maybe that would have done it…" he muttered, only half there. He looked up at me, his face showing whatever decision he'd come up with. "I'm too ingrained in this world to leave," he started, "and I don't think I would want to. All of the major things in my life have happened here, but that doesn't mean it has to be the same for you. You must have friends to return to, a family perhaps?"

"I don't have a lot of friends, but I have a large family," I said.

"Maybe… maybe if you finished this 'game,'" he did air quotes with his fingers, "maybe you could return to them. I didn't follow the guidelines and defeat Team Rocket, but you know enough of this world already to do whatever it is that needs to be done."

I didn't say anything for a while after his earnest proclamation, my mind over flooding with his words and what may or may not happen and the whys of it all.

"But…" I started, staring at the Pokéballs at my waist. "What if I don't _want_ to leave?"

"What?" he asked, vague confusion layering his tone.

"I haven't been here long, but I've played the games since I was a kid. I'm the oldest of five and I've always been busy helping someone or doing something and I miss it, I do. I felt so dreadfully _alone_ this morning that I cried myself to sleep. I miss my family more than anything and I've only been here a week. But," I said again, "I think if I left, I'd miss my Pokémon more."

"How can you say that? You've been here a week – how would you know?" he sounded angry, slamming his hands on the desk. I looked him in the eye.

"Like I said, I'm an older sibling and I've never had any close friends. Hell, my brothers and sisters disregard me sometimes as that I'll always be there –"

"You're doing this to teach them a _lesson_?" he sounded disgusted and it was my turn to get angry.

"No!" I growled. "What I'm saying is that I never fit in back in the Real World. I was going through the motions and my Pokémon game was how I escaped it all. I'm not like you; I didn't have great ambitions like you, or passion for anything. I love my family and I always will, but I need to do something to make _me_ happy. I've lost two Pokémon already and it nearly broke me, though I didn't know them long. I _feel_ right here – having discussions about battle tactics with strangers and playing and growing with my Pokémon. If I lost them all, if I had to go back I don't know what I would do."

My speech was passionate and enlightening.

It was the first time I'd recognized and acknowledged what was going on in my head, what my mind had been hiding from me. And now that I knew, there was no going back. I made my decision as I spoke, that I knew what I had to do.

"I'll finish whatever this game wants me to finish and I'll help everyone return to where they were. They deserve to be happy just as much as I do and I don't think it's going to happen here; they should get that much. But if the choice came I would want to stay here." I stood after he nodded.

"I see. Then you've learned in one week what it took me years to decide," he sighed. "You belong here as much as I do."

We stared at each other, our words hanging stagnant in the air.

"Come by tomorrow and I will battle you."

* * *

**A/N:** Holy _SHIT_. That chapter was about 9 - 9 1/2 pages long, which is 2 1/2 more than my usual 7, but I couldn't help myself; I cranked this out in about 2 hours, too, which is hella lot quicker than usual (all that plotting out the chapters racks up time, you know). This wasn't where I saw this chapter going (I actually had a completely different idea in my head) but I really kind of adore how it turned out. So far, it's my favorite. Okay, so a lot of stuff happens - a lot of depressing stuff happens, really - and I can't say it's going to get any better. You guys signed up for this as a serious fic and let me tell you: it is staying that way. Also: I may have told a few of you that I'd be doing the Gym fight this chapter, or something like that, but I'm holding it off until next chapter since right there seemed a good place to stop. Please, do try not to hate me.

All right, my awesome reviewers! I forgot to put Chapter Five's list in, so I'll just include it here: **Ie-maru (x2), Sahxyel (x2), Ninthlite, Dodectron, Korona Karyuudo, K.A. Pryde, ChaoticxxHearts.** Thank you all very, very much for the support; I hope I answered all of your questions when I responded to your review.


	9. Eighth Eden

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Eight:**

I stared out into the water as the sun set across its choppy waves; I had taken my shoes off and dug my feet into the cold, unforgiving sand as the water lapped at my feet. I'd been at the small beach on Route 118 all day – all day but the beginning that was. A tear tracked its way down my face, landing into a vaster body of water and drifted away. I made no move to stop the ones that followed the first, my heart empty and my head near numb; somehow, though, the pounding behind my eyes and the vice grip on my stomach remained, chilling me and brining nausea to the forefront.

Gripping the grayed out Pokéball tightly in my hands, I sobbed and fresh memories took me over.

* * *

I scratched the back of my arm nervously as I waited at the arena's edge. The events from the previous day were rolling about my head, distracting me and making me nervous for the battle to come. Morgan was locking up the Gym, closing it down for the day in order for us to have a frank, decisive battle against each other. This was the precise reason for my nerves. The albino man had told me the day before that he spent years training his Pokémon – literally a decade. Ten years of vigor and tirelessly running from a past would soup up any Pokémon to the extreme; Morgan wasn't Wattson, he wasn't set by some Japanese game editor to be beaten by a kid with a game system. How could my Pokémon stand up to that?

"Are you ready?" he asked me and I hesitated before nodding. "There will be no referee, no time limit, and we both can switch out at any point."

"Got it," I said, stepping into the painted box for visitors. We faced each other and I could see the walls of stoicism slowly crumble; I felt that, for the first time, I was seeing the real Morgan.

"Go, Electrike," he called forth the little green electric dog and it yipped at me.

"Come on out, Gabriel," I tossed the Great Ball and my dark ghost appeared. Morgan quirked a brow at me and I blushed. "I couldn't help it, okay?"

"You do realize that was a dangerous thing to do, don't you?" he asked me and I furrowed my brow. "The League can always tell when a rule's been broken – they have ways of tracking it. They aren't as lenient as they probably were in the game version."

"They're… not?" I asked, honestly a little scared now that someone was going to nab my little Sableye from me.

"No, but if it does happen, I shall talk to them about it," he smirked slightly. "Sometimes it's just hard to resist, no?"

"No kidding," I agreed. Finally, someone who understood.

"Enough. Electrike, spark attack."

"Try a night shade, Gabe," I told my ghost. The room blacked out except for the pure yellow light that the Electrike emitted from his body. Unfortunately, the spark attack lit the room enough so that the keen eyed dog could find my Sableye and shoot its sparks.

"Saaa," Gabriel cried out. The room immediately relit and he melting into existence before me, clutching at his bejeweled belly.

"It's okay, Gabe, return," I called out to him and let the red light of the Great Ball encompass him. I was right; even Morgan's weakest Pokémon was terribly strong. I replaced Gabe's ball with Tilly's; I knew type advantage was a strong strategy in a battle, but she was one of my top three and I could only hope she'd be enough. "Till, it's your turn."

"Azuma," she growled at the Electrike. I smirked; _My little Tilly has come a far way from the shaking Marill she was_.

"Roll out!" I told her.

"Bad choice," my white haired opponent said. "Shock wave, Trike!"

"Elleeee!" the pup howled as he powered up. My Azumarill rolled herself tightly into a ball and spun around a few times to gain momentum before heading towards the green Pokémon. I bit my lip, waiting to see what happened. "Triiike!" A powerful beam of electricity tore through the battle field and the lights flickered from the surge.

"Till, move out of the way!" I yelled as the energy headed straight for her. She used her speed to dart to the side, barely missing the attack; it slowed her down, but she hit the pup full on, knocking him into the far wall. He slumped to the ground unconscious, or so I hoped.

"Hmm, well that was unexpected…" Morgan murmured, returning his Pokémon. I was happy to see that it remained red, showing that the Pokémon was indeed alive. He turned his strange, purple eyes to me. "You realize I won't go easy on you, yes?"

"Of course," I nodded. "I wouldn't expect you to."

"You misunderstand," he started, "should it come to it, I will do anything to defeat you; if ten years here has taught me anything, it is that this world is deceptively kind. No one will take mercy on you, so nor will I."

A tense silence passed between us as I comprehended what he meant.

"You would really…?" I asked, disheartened but somehow not surprised. He nodded.

"Yes."

He meant that if it came to it, he would kill my Pokémon. I felt an amalgamation of things from this revelation – my immediate response was disgust, and then anger, and then I wasn't so surprised. This cynical, world weary man was right; just like that boy back on my first day, this world was misleading and he just wanted to make sure I was prepared. I couldn't blame him for that, but I couldn't stop myself from becoming just a bit cold to him for it.

"Go, Magneton!" he called forth the steel-electric type and a boom sounded as the sexless creature appeared. I felt a thin layer of sweat meld itself to my brow and I wiped it onto the back of my glove.

"Try a water gun," I told my Pokémon; electric it may be, but it was also steel and I knew water type moves worked better than rock or normal attacks on the metal plated Pokémon. She puffed up, shooting a hefty spray at the three eyed monster. It crackled slightly but without a true face I couldn't gage its exhaustion.

"Nice try, but no deal. Thunder wave, Magnet," he told his Pokémon. Still recovering from her use of the water gun, Tilly couldn't dodge the attack and ended up paralyzed. "Shock wave while she's frozen, now."

"No, Tilly, move!" I ordered, desperate. He and I both knew she wasn't strong enough to resist the attack. She tried to dodge to the right, but the paralysis had stuck and she was immobile. I fumbled for her Pokéball, desperate. But I was too late.

"Maaaaaaaaa!" she cried out, her body seizing with the great electrical force that swarmed its way through her system. I froze, unable to look away and feeling sick for it. She crumbled to the ground and I ran onto the field. I gathered her up in my arms, holding her as tightly as I dared; I barely felt the aftershocks as they zapped at me, a static shock all unto its own.

"C'mon, Tills," I whispered, frantic. Her eyes were closed, though, and her face scrunched up in the last gestures of pain. I let the shuddering cries rack through me, silent and devastating. I stayed kneeling on the arena floor for a few minutes as the pain of her loss took me over and Morgan let me, silently understanding and giving me this brief comfort. I didn't know what hurt worse, knowing that she was gone or that I had no one to blame; he had warned me, after all, and I had agreed to the terms. Maybe this man would teach me something after all. My movements slow, I whispered, "Return, Tilly," and she was gone from my arms forever. I stood with my face to the ground, covered by my bangs, and my shoulders hunched. I walked back to my visitor box and tugged out Vexyl's Pokéball. I looked up at Morgan after I tossed my starter into the ring, dead eyes expressionless. "Double kick, ember," I said to him, tone lacking emotion. He squawked at me and ran to the Magneton.

"Sonic boom," Morgan commanded of his Pokémon.

Vex dodged without being told, landed his remaining leg on the Magneton, before flaring a fierce ember at the steel-type. It cried out in a computerize tone, the sound echoing off the blank walls. I knew both of those attacks had a type advantage and with Vex's own anger raising his attack, it wasn't unexpected when Morgan recalled his tired out Pokémon. He tossed out another ball, this one containing a Magnemite which Vex took out with an unordered ember, followed by a Voltorb. The evolved Pokéball got off a few sonic booms before my enraged starter took it out and our match was done.

"Here is your Dynamo Badge," Morgan gave me the pin and I looked at it blankly.

"Thank you," I said. We both knew I wasn't talking about the badge, and we both knew I didn't mean the words in the slightest. We also knew that at some point in the future, I would look back on this devastation and realize the point of it, though I would never forgive him for it.

I left and walked to the ocean silently. I stood for a moment and stared out at the vast expanse of water before me, the same shade that was Tilly's sleek felt. And then I collapsed into the sand, my body sobbing its grief and my mind reeling from the pain. Vex sat next to me, legs crossed and head thrown to the sky, crowing out his sadness with bursts of fire. There would be no getting over this, I was certain that the pain would always be there in the back of our hearts. But right now, all I wanted to do was nothing.

Hours later found me alone on the beach, feet dug into the sand and Vexyl once more in his Pokéball, exhausted. I still clutched both the Dynamo Badge and Tilly's Pokéball in my hands, not wanting to release either of them and not sure I had the energy to do so anyway. The pin's sharp edges cut into my hand, letting thin rivets of blood stain the golden metal; with a deep-felt sigh, I stuffed it into my pocket, wanting it out of my sight, and rolled the Pokéball over my palms.

"You weren't the first I ever caught," I told it. "Neither were you the most rare, nor the most powerful. But when I saw what the other Marill was doing to you, I had to help. You were so trusting of me, even though you had no reason to be. And you were scared of everything: from the shadows the grass made to the power that resided in you. I was so proud of you when you stood up to that Magneton, no fear on your face though you surely must have known your end was coming. I wish it had been different," I told her. "I wish I could have retrieved your Pokéball in time, spared you the injustice of dying because of my own bad judgment. But there's no repeating our battle and there's no bringing you back. I am sorry."

For a long while, I didn't know what to do with her Pokéball, though I knew I would keep it. I hadn't enough leather cord to wrap it around my neck, and I refused to leave her Pokéball with the sea, though I knew she would enjoy the water. Instead, I pulled what little cord I had left and tied it around the device before threading it through my hair. I didn't care that I looked odd, a Pokéball nestled with my black locks; I didn't care that the weight of the ball tugged on my scalp. I was content enough with the placement and headed to the Center for what I knew would be a restless night.

* * *

I spent the next week in Mauville.

I let out all my Pokémon and took my Oddish, who I'd deemed Roxie, from the daycare. We spent the days mourning the loss of our partner, our sister, until our hearts couldn't grief anymore. Then we began to heal; it was a slow process and we each got through it in our own ways. Vexyl demolished everything in his path until the trainers in the area would no longer approach me for battles and indeed steered clear of my path when they saw us coming. Morgan had come to me once during this time and we merely stood in the sand of the beach, where I had taken to hanging around when I could do nothing else. The smell of salt and dirt was soothing to me. We never exchanged a word.

Roxie, who had never really known any of us, was of course the quickest to recover, and after her it was Minnow. The two were impish, tugging and pulling at me to smile in a way that reminded me of my younger siblings. I could barely stand it, but smiled at them when they wanted me to. Some of us should be happy. Gabriel was hard to understand, but he practically molded himself to whichever side my shadow was on and that was as close as I could be to understanding his own pain. Jesus was the worst. Her pain was amplified by mine and there was no hiding it from her, especially not with her in my head. As I understood it, her evolution into a Kirlia had made her powerful enough to communicate with me through her psychic abilities, and her trust in me gave her the courage to do so. We were sat under the same tree as we had been the last time Tilly had gone swimming when Jesus first telekinetically approached me.

_Master?_ She asked softly, her voice a gentle alto that was laced with pain.

"Yes, J?" I responded, tilting my head down to look at her.

_Why does it hurt so?_

"Because you loved her," I said, tears pricking the backs of my eyes but not falling.

_Love?_ She inquired as he rested her finned head against my side.

"Love, ballerina, is hard to explain," I started, looking over to my playing Oddish and Minun. "It's not a conscious decision, nor is it anything you can stop. It makes your heart burst with happiness at a mere glance and can be felt for anything."

_I loved Tilly?_ She whispered, tugging at her fins, a nervous habit she had never outgrown.

"Yes, you loved Tilly. We all did, though I think Vexyl, you and I especially," I said. "She was our family; I raised her and the two of you knew her best. She loved you, too," I told her.

_She did?_

"Of course," I nodded.

It wasn't the longest conversation we'd had, but it was by far the most important. It helped to put a rest to our fitful hearts and we left Mauville the next day.

"Be careful," Morgan told me after I'd stopped in to say good bye.

"I will," I promised. And, like all the conversations we'd had, we meant more than we'd said.

_Don't be caught unawares_, Morgan was telling me. _Please, don't end up as I did. I could never want that for you._

_I won't let anyone take advantage of us. I will protect them with my life,_ I had replied.

And then, my Pokémon and I were gone, off to Route 111, and wherever this life leads us. We were prepared now – for anything.

"Jesus, confusion!" I ordered.

My Kirlia let loose a cry of her name as she raised her arms to ready her attack; we'd found out, when we'd faced the Winistrate family near Mauville, that her attacks came easier and quicker than they had in her Ralts. Our opponent, Geodude, tumbled to the ground before his tackle could hit, worn out from the hit.

"No, GeGe!" the girl who'd asked us for a battle shouted, running to her Pokémon, her Girl Scout-esque outfit clinking with her steps.

She was the third opponent we'd faced in the last forty five minutes and she went down just as easily as the others. As she handed over the 140 pokébucks she owed me, I gave a glance at her Pokémon. I knew that I had to have a water type soon, not only because there were mainly rock types in this area, but also because the next Gym was a fire type and I wanted to be as sure as possible that I wouldn't lose someone else. Even a week later, thinking about Tilly still stung harshly, but I was slowly getting used to the pain.

"C'mon, J," I told my Kirlia and we walked away from our battle scene, the girl hovering over her injured pocket monster.

We headed up the slope that lead to the mountain, pausing as we reached the fork in the Route. On one side, I saw a trail of grass and dirt and trainers. On the other, sand blew freely in the air through a canyon entrance. _Mountain and fire or dirt and desert? Decisions, decisions._ I thought.

"Hey, you, kid!" I heard a voice from behind me. Thinking it was one of the many trainers who'd tracked me down from Mauville (eager for a rematch, thinking they could beat me after only a few days training), I sighed in frustration and turned to glare. To my surprise, it was a woman in her late twenties with a mic in her hand and a man to her left, who was toting around a TV camera. "Yeah, you! My name's Gabby and this," she hitched her thumb at the man beside her, "is Ty. We're from the Network and we saw you decimate that trainer and her Geodude back there! We think you'd do great for our ratings; battle us!"

I blinked at her. Then,

"No." I turned to walk away and towards Mt. Chimney, deciding that dirt in my eyes wasn't on my to-do list today. A hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me to face the woman as she glared down at me.

"Face us!" she growled, pulling out a Pokéball. _Damned desperate anchorwoman_.

I gave her my own glare, full of fierce, misdirected anger. "I said no, woman, now leave me be." I heard her huff from behind me.

"Thunder wave!" she called from behind me. I spun, now seriously pissed at the insistent woman.

"J, confusion!" I said, annoyed. The Magnemite who'd tried to attack me (Ty's, I realized when he looked concerned for the creature while Gabby just huffed again) fell back before attacking a rock in its confusion. I narrowed my eyes when the anchorwoman called forth a Whismur, giving me a smug grin. I glared and tugged out Gabriel's ball. "Gabe, go get it."

"Saable," he hissed at the Pokémon, zipping in front of the already frightened creature and making it flinch with an Astonish. The previously confused Magnemite, in the mean time, knocked itself out by attacking the rock and the Whismur was just too frightened to move.

"Pathetic," I sneered when the woman looked shocked I'd taken their team out so quickly. I looked over at the camera, whose light was blinking on record. "Gabe, rock smash," I ordered of him, his newly HM'd move breaking apart the recording device into a thousand little pieces.

"You can't do that!" Gabby screeched at me while her companion looked heartbrokenly between his Magnemite and his camera.

"I told you no the first time, learn your damn manners," I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, guys, we've got a mountain to climb." My psychic and my ghost trailed after me, looking pretty satisfied with their selves. When we were about twenty feet away I gave a chuckle.

_What are you laughing at, Master?_ Jesus asked me, tilting her head.

"Oh, just thinking how it would have served them right to air the footage of them getting beat in two moves by a trainer with only three Gym Badges, that's all," I smirked down at her. She let out a trilling giggle and I heard Gabriel let out what I thought was a laugh, though it resembled more of a monstrous cackle. It gave me a shiver up my spine whenever I heard it, but it seemed to fit my trickster of a Pokémon. We finally reached the mountain a half hour later and I groaned when I realized that there were no convenient stairs up the side of the cliff. "Awesome," I said sarcastically. I returned my Pokémon and began to climb, glad for the loose pants because the bike shorts surely wouldn't have been comfortable.

* * *

**A/N:** ... I reallly don't have a lot to say for this chapter.

Thanks to: **ChaoticxxHearts, Sahxyel, **and **Ie-Maru**.


	10. Ninth Nuance

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Nine:**

"Ugh," I huffed, landing hard on the rocky surface of the mountain ledge. I'd finally finished scaling the cliff-side, only to be man-handled by two different mountaineers and their Geodudes. "I really need a water type," I sighed, rubbing a gloved hand over my sweaty brow. Having the salty water sticking to my glove wasn't the best feeling either.

The sun was high in the sky as the earth beneath me baked, and I looked over to the cave entrance I knew I would need to pass through, not looking forward to the swelter that awaited me. I'd actually checked out the Cable Car Station before wandering to the cave, but it was a no go. The station, surprisingly, wasn't guarded by Aqua Grunts – I did see a few suspicious looking people loitering in the lobby who wore primarily red, though none had the cape-like hats of the Magma members – but the car wasn't there and the woman at the counter informed me that it had broken down, as it was want to do. I groaned again and pushed myself up to my feet and towards the craggy entrance. Sure enough, as soon as I came within five feet of the volcano's insides, my body flushed red and a deeper sweat started on me.

"I should have worn my red shirt, instead," I told myself as I tugged at my white tank top, which was sticking to my torso and becoming somewhat see through.

Reluctantly entering the cave, I was assaulted by a vicious, wet heat and felt like I was being boiled alive. I ran for it, glad for the Running Shoes I wore (which, I'd found out, indeed had a 'B Button' which pumped air into the soles of the shoes for an easier time running). The cave was about fifty feet long, I figured, since I could see the far wall. I was happy it was smaller than a previous assumption I'd made and grinned at the future relief I would feel just as soon as I'd exited. But, to my great annoyance, a roar sounded from behind me and a flash of smoke, steam, and heat encompassed me. I could barely see the Pokémon who'd attacked me (my glasses had fogged up from the steam-wave), but I recognized the vague shape of the fire-turtle as a Torkoal. I admitted that he would be a good addition to the team – and that, as the first Pokémon in the area, I had to at least attempt to catch him – so I pulled out Vex's Pokéball.

"Go easy on him, Vex," I told my Combusken as he appeared.

"Com," he shrugged, fluffing his feathers to allow more heat to his body.

"Lucky," I grumbled. Fire types did love the high temperature, after all. "Just, do a double kick on him or something," I told him, my mind too jumbled from the humidity to really think straight.

"CombusKEN!" he cawed, charging the turtle. Before the slow Pokémon could react, Vexyl had hit, sending it careening into a far wall – correction, _through_ a far wall – and into the darkness. I watched all this, mouth agape, and turned to my starter.

"What. The. _Hell_, Vex? I said go easy on him, not one hit KO him!" I shouted, throwing my hands into the air. He shrugged at me again.

"Com."

"Yeah, right," I mumbled. "'Didn't mean to' my ass." I sighed. "Let's just… go. We aren't going to make it to Fallarbor Town until late tonight as it is," I told him as I checked the time on my PokéNav. Sure enough, it was already late afternoon. A minute later we'd finally made it to the second half of Route 111 and I fell to my knees as the cool, fresh air encompassed me. At least, it _felt_ a helluva lot cooler than the cave had, and that was enough.

"Sken-bus?" Vexyl commented as he watched me roll around the fresh grass.

"Just because you enjoyed the heat doesn't mean I did," I told him. "It must have been 110 degrees in there; humans aren't supposed to get that hot. Pokémon? Yeah, sure, if they're fire or rock types. The rest of us are more like 70-80 degree creatures."

"Coom," he nodded sagely and I figured he understood what I meant.

I lolled like that for about ten minutes until I forced myself up and to continue on. I made it to the northern part of the Route by about 7.30 (battling a trainer along the way and upping my money to a good 56000 pokébucks), making the day a twelve hour shift, and by that point I was too tired to even contemplate struggling my way through Route 113. I tossed my little blue sleeping bag onto some soft-looking grass and curled up into it. I left Vexyl out of his Pokéball to ward off any attackers and told him to wake me up if anything happened or he wanted to sleep himself. Sure enough, halfway through the night I was pulled from my exhaustion-driven sleep to return him to his ball. I replaced him with the duo of Minnow and Roxie who were entranced with each other enough to keep them awake. I went back to sleep.

When I awoke in the morning, the sun shining on my hiding spot between the trees, I was momentarily confused when I saw Minnow and Roxie chasing each other around my camp ground. It took a minute, but I remembered the midnight exchange and decided that the two could use some training up. I fought another trainer once I'd officially made it to Route 113 and Minnow sparked the girl's Skarmory into unconsciousness, I was proud to declare. Unfortunately, though, Roxie was… well, to be honest she was a grass type and I couldn't get a good feel for battling her. I'd used her against countless wild Pokémon in the area – we'd found a Spinda first thing and she'd used poison powder on the thing; I didn't catch it for obvious reasons – as well as the other trainers in the Route, but she wasn't really a fighter. I had suspicions she'd used Sweet Scent on Minnow, though, because the two seemed almost inseparable. _Caaaan you feeeeel the loooove tonight,_ I sang in my head as Minnow darted around and around Roxie, making her giggle. It was cute and slightly unexpected but it made me happy to see my youngest Pokémon in such high spirits.

At about half past one we'd finally (finally) made it to Fallarbor Town. Our bodies were covered in ash and soot and I was having problems breathing, but we were there. I popped into the Pokémon Center to feed all of us (not having eaten since the morning previous) and we consumed what must have been half of their food supplies. Those bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches were the best I'd ever had (though that might have been the famine talking). I took a long, relaxing shower and washed my clothes (who knew grass stains were so hard to get out?) in the back room before leaving the Center and exploring the Town. To be honest, it wasn't much bigger than the game portrayed it to be; there were only a handful of houses in the area, a small Contest Hall, and a Pokémart that had seen better days. I walked out to Route 114 and to the bridge that crossed over to a field of tall grass and the outside bits of Mt. Chimney. Deciding to forgo jumping right into what was sure to be many, many Pokémon battles I sat on the bridge and lazily watched the water trolling under me. I lamented not getting a rod when I saw what might have been the shapes of Goldeen under the surface of the water.

"Hey there, miss," a man in a red track suit greeted.

"Hello there," I told the friendly local; he appeared to be a fisherman, if the gear on his back was anything to go by.

"You're lookin' awful down," he commented, tossing out his line into the lake. I shrugged.

"Just thinking about my next Gym Battle; I've got my first three now and I heard Flannery was a tough one," I told him. It was nice to just be able to talk about nothing, make idle conversation with a stranger. No life-threatening plots, no endless questions I had no answers to… it was calming. He hummed, looked at me, and turned back to his fishing.

"Worried about fire-types, eh? Your starter a Treeko?" he asked.

"No, I chose a Torchic; he's a Combusken now, but it's still going to take a lot of training up for us to beat her. Those ground type moves of hers are a," I paused when the word 'killer' rang through my mind. "Uh- a problem," I finished lamely.

"No water types?" I shook my head.

"No. I – I had one but she didn't make it," I said softly, looking away for a moment. "The regulations the League has set don't help matters much either."

We stayed silent a moment, letting the calming laps of water of the lake sooth my internal tension. Then, he turned to me, and thrust his fishing rod into my hands. With an 'oomf' I accepted it, startled.

"There, lass! Now you can catch yourself one! There are only water types in these waters and I know for a fact that Goldeen are plentiful," he nodded, patting his pocket with a wink. I stared at him, wide eyed.

"Oh, wow, thanks!" I gasped.

"Now, it's just on loan until you catch yourself a fish, you got that?" he grinned at me. I nodded.

The man actually stayed with me while I fished for Pokémon and we made idle chatter. But, for all his words of wild Pokémon in the water, I didn't have a tug on the end until an hour later; I pulled at the line and lifted it to the surface only to find a pinecone on the end of the plastic string. I went to untangle the thing from my line when an orange blur hopped out of the water, biting at the pinecone and my unexpecting lure. I blinked at the stupid Pokémon and sighed, throwing out a Pokéball.

"Welcome to the team, Copper," I said to the ball containing my new Magicarp.

Great. Just… great.

* * *

I awkwardly accepted the money I'd earned from the trainer I just beat, holding my flopping Magicarp in one arm. I'd decided that the only way for her (and, it was indeed a 'she' if my PokéDex was to be trusted) to gain experience was to watch my other Pokémon trounce trainer after trainer. We made it through the grass just passed the bridge, beat a few trainers, wandered up the side of the mountain (an easier climb than the one from Route 111), beat a few more trainers, and were now walking our way into Meteor Falls. When I entered the cave (thinking about how many, many caves Hoenn had) I took a moment to appreciate it's cool atmosphere and the blue tinge the walls held; there were bits of white and silver stones marbled into the blue and it was a beautiful sight, especially when the light from the entrance hit it and made it sparkle. I reluctantly stopped my tourist-gape to march Copper and I over to the bridge that was in front of a towering, shimmering waterfall. To my left, I could see an unstable ladder and I climbed down. Looking around, I was confused.

There was no one there.

"They must've already been here…" I thought aloud, hitching Copper up a bit further into my arms. I sighed, turned and marched back out the cave. "Well that was a waste," I said. "Maybe they're already at Mt. Chimney?"

I was disgruntled at the thought; I knew if I was already too late here then I was going to be waaay late at Mt. Chimney. I would have to run. Returning Copper to her ball, I high tailed it back down the ledges of the mountain terrain and through the tall grass in Route 114. As I ran across the bridge and through the small town of Fallarbor, I thought back to when I'd started my journey.

I had never been a big fan of participating in nature and so I'd never been overly physically active. So, when I ran all the way from Route 114 and finally back to the other side of the Mt. Chimney cave, I was bloody freaking _exhausted_. Of course, I had taken several breaks along the way, and mostly jogged, but still. It was a big accomplishment for my used-to-be indoors-y form. I probably would have died had I tried that two weeks ago, and I was lucky there weren't any hill I had to climb _up_. At any rate, I arrived back to the Cable Car Station at around 8 or 8.30 that night, exhausted and bones aching from two straight days of near-vigorous exercise.

I purchased a ticket up the recently 'fixed' cable car and slumped over in the padded bench provided.

"Thank you gods of cable car production," I panted as I let the air conditioning in the vehicle cool me off. _Those designers of this machine should receive a sacrificial offer, or something,_ I thought bizarrely, my mind not reacting well with the mixture of heat and tiredness that churned through my veins. About fifteen minutes later, I'd reached the top of the mountain and exited the car. A similarly dressed Station worked greeted me, a fearful look disarming her unconcerned, friendly smile, and I knew that the fight had probably already started. I rushed out of the building and came face to face with several sets of people in two sets of clothing: one red and the other blue. _This would have been so much cooler had the uniforms for Team Magma looked like Ninjas_, I thought and edged my way past the fights as best I could. I headed up towards the northern side of the ridge that overlooked the bubbling magma of the volcano. I gulped when a comparable intense heat as the cave below made a sweat burst forth on my skin. I was really starting to hate the heat.

As I turned the corner to the far edge of the ridge, I was somewhat surprised that no Team Administrators greeted me with a battle. I shrugged, thanked my luck, and moved on.

"You aren't going to do this, Maxie!" a voice ahead hollered, and I recognized the Brooklyn-esque accent.

"Your plans would ruin the planet!" another voice replied, enunciating the words oddly, sounding almost British. "I am trying to restore the land masses to their proper frame!"

"Urg! Sharpedo, Crunch!" Archie commanded. I rushed around the last boulder and took in the sight of the two team leaders battled. I had to admit, the sight looked pretty epic, what with two powerful Pokémon and their trainers as they duked it out in front of an active volcano.

"Magnetude, Camerupt!" Maxie told his fire-type.

"Whoa!" I yelled as the earth beneath me moved. I tumbled, grabbing onto the large rock to my right, and barely maintained my footing. The two leaders paused their brutal battle to look at me and Archie narrowed his eyes at me.

"You!" he glared. "What the hell, girlie – get out of here. This has _nothing to do with you_."

Maxie, on the other hand, smirked and turned back to his opponent. "See? It is not only Team Magma who knows the true horror your designs would cause!"

"No way! Flooding the world would solve all of our problems! There would be plenty of fishing for food, and the world would be renewed by the fresh water!" Archie argued back, face turning a faint purple color, whether from the heat or his anger, I did not know. I stared at them both, aghast at their skewed perspectives.

"You're both nuts!" I shouted, mouth hanging and eyes wide. They gave me odd looks. "If you flooded the world, where would we live? Or the Pokémon found exclusively on land? What would you do for fruit, for meat that wasn't fish? And if you molded the world into a world of rock, what would happen to the water? You need water in the oceans to bring rain to the land, we can't live without water. And then what would happen to those water types too?" I panted, half from the heat and half from the speech I'd all but yelled. "You're – you're nuts!" I repeated, at a loss for words.

They both stared at me, though I could tell their minds weren't trained on my form. Instead, they were trying to rationalize their reasons for their own plans; I could tell from the amount of time it was taking them that they were having a hard time of it. That is, until they glanced at each other. Immediately their fight commenced. I rolled my eyes, disgusted.

"Uh, men!" I groaned and pulled out two of my Pokéballs. "Vex, double kick; Minnow, spark!" I commanded. The Minun flew at Archie's Sharpedo, KO-ing it in one hit because of its already weakened state. The same happened with Vexyl and the Camerupt that Maxie commanded.

"This isn't over!" they both yelled at me in unison as they ran back down the slope of the mountain and towards the cable car. Their men ran after them, their own Pokémon tired out, and I was left alone on the volcano with my Pokémon.

"Well," I started, "that didn't go quite as I thought it would."

"Mi?" Minnow asked, hopping up to my shoulder, faintly reminiscent of a Pikachu I would never get to know.

"Comb-uh," Vexyl shook his head at my electric mouse. I looked between the two and narrowed my eyes.

"Now what's this you're saying about me?" I asked, not quite offended but suspicious all the same.

"Minun, Mi!" my mouse told me, nudging his cheek against mine.

"Yeah, that was real helpful," I rolled my eyes.

* * *

We'd eventually made it down the mountain side and to Lavaridge, but not without a few battles on the way – and one rather unforgettable one. I'd just hopped down from the second ledge along the path (a word I used loosely, for there was no real direction but _down_) and the ashes beneath my feet scattered into the air around me, causing me to cough severely. _Ugh_, I thought, _I'll never get used to this freaking smoke_. I rubbed at my watering eyes and tried to hold my breath as long as possible. It was still hot on this side of the mountain, though less so than at the peak of it, and I tugged at my shirt. _I'm going to have to wash my clothes at least three times to get out the smell_, I whined to myself.

"Hey there, you!" a voice to my right called. At first, I didn't see anything, but the man moved and I could make out his green and brown clothes that were covered in soot. Camouflage without it meaning to be, I supposed.

"Eh?" I asked, blinking ash from my eyes.

"How 'bout a battle then, lass? I've been up here for hours and I couldn't find a damn Pokémon to fight that wasn't one I already had," he said, voice slightly rough from the dry air.

I shrugged. "Yeah, sure," I said, tugging out to Pokéballs from their holsters. I released Jesus and Copper, grabbing the latter of the two around her fins and hauling her into my arms – an experience I was certainly tired of. _I should have gotten that Experience Share,_ I lamented, completely ignoring the fact that it would have meant yet another trip with Briney. I shuddered at the thought.

"You all right there, lass?" the man asked. He was probably worried he'd just started up a battle with a mental trainer. I knew what I looked like: covered in dirt, ash, and sweat I held a Magicarp in my hands – the most useless Pokémon of all time, until it evolved – and pulled a frail looking Pokémon for a battle, all while shuddering at something incomprehensible, to them. You know, now that I thought about it, I probably did look insane. I sighed.

"Yeah I'm… fine," I rolled my eyes at myself.

"Well, okay then…" he said, uncertain. He shook his head and threw a Pokéball. "Let's get 'er, Dudette!"

"Geo, geo," the Geodude said. I couldn't tell that it was a girl but… eh. To each their own.

"Get her, Jesus," I told my Kirlia. She nodded.

"Tackle!" Man ordered.

"Confusion," I called in response.

"Kir-liii!" J shouted, raising her arms.

The Geodude burst through her attack, though, and rammed my little ballerina hard. They both 'oomf'd and I was concerned for a moment until I saw that he Geodude was barely staying awake while Jesus appeared only slightly worse for wear. "Again," I told her. She repeated her motions and the rock type went down.

"That one's more powerful than I thought," the man blinked. "Wouldn't o' thought it of such a little thing." I beamed proudly down at Jesus and I was almost certain the dark green tinge she had to her cheeks was a blush. "C'mon out, Chika!" A Machop burst forth from its Pokéball.

"All right, Jesus, this one should go down eas – " I started, only to topple over as Copper struggle from my arms and flopped on the ground in front of Jesus. "Copper, what the hell are you doing? Get back her – " I stopped again, this time to watch as Copper grew. And grew. And grew some more. Her body was encompassed in white light and I grinned. "Hell yes!" I pumped my fist into the air. "I've got a Gyarados! Woo!" I spun around, jumping up and down. I looked back and found myself face to, er, fin with my newly evolved Pokémon. I looked up, craning my head back to stare at Copper. She was about 20 feet tall, if I had to guess as I blinked up at her. She copied the motion, her large jowls hanging open in a silent roar. I pulled out my PokéDex to get her list of attacks – if she'd really learned any at all from her evolution – and flipped through the intro information.

"_Gyarados,_" PokéDex said. "_Attacks: Bite, Tackle, Splash._"

"Oh, well, okay," I shrugged. I looked back up at Copper and then down to our opponent and his Machop. The two of them looked scared out of their wits, though, and were backing up with their hands in a defensive position.

"I – I think I'll just forfeit," the man stuttered. He grabbed his Pokémon about her waist and tossed a few pokébucks at my before turning tail and retreating down the mountain. I sighed and pulled out Jesus' Pokéball.

"C'mon, J, return. I've got to train up Copper for our next gym now," I explained to her. She nodded and didn't resist as the red light encompassed her. "All right there, beastie," I looked up at Copper. "Let's grind."

* * *

**A/N:** Let's just say that Magicarp are a bitch to train up then, shall we? Also: I am officially caught up with writing through the game. Those are in fact the moves Copper knows and I can just tell that she's going to be one of those that's going to take frick-all forever to learn a water move. Hence the grinding. Maybe I'll capture a new pokemon next time? Eh. Let's hope it'll be something useful.

To my amazing reviewers: **Sahxyel, Icyfeather12** (your review is still making me laugh, by the way),** Ie-Maru, Waflicka, **and** ChaoticxxHearts.** Y'all are the shizz-nit (I said that right, right? Eh. Whatever.)


	11. Tenth Torture

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Ten:**

"Urg!" I groaned, flopping onto the ashy grass that the outside of Mt. Chimney held. Luckily, the soot wasn't continuously falling as it did in Fallarbor, but the ground was covered enough to, once again, make me absolutely filthy. I brushed off my gloves on my knees but the action didn't have much effect. "Copper, return," I sighed, bringing back my monstrous Gyarados. I fell to my back, tired after hours upon hours of training that Copper and I had been doing. This first Pokémon we'd come across, and subsequently caught, was a Numel I deemed Nonna – more for the fact that Numel could learn ground attacks (which she did know, Magnitude, that is) and they would be affective against Flannery (if it was Flannery) – which filled out my ball belt, completing my party. After that, Copper and I did a lot of grinding, as Pokémon fans called it. But what was really frustrating me beyond anything, was the fact that despite all the training my Gyarados and I had gone through, she still hadn't learnt a single new attack. Not a one! I banged my head against the ground.

I looked up at the mid afternoon sun as the ash drifted around me. I had gone into Lavaridge the night before after Copper evolved (it had taken me a minute after her dazzling evolution to realize that it was, in fact, about 10 o'clock at night) and had to plead my way into the Pokémon Center. Apparently, they closed up shop starting at 9 and locked the doors. Luckily, Nurse Joy had taken pity on me and let me in, though I had to sleep on the floor; there were at least a dozen Pokémon trainers littered about the place and I was curious as to why so many would visit such a small town.

"Easy," said a boy trainer I'd posed my question to. We were both in line for food in the morning and got to talking about our Pokémon. He was a primarily water type trainer, just waiting for his turn to win a badge. "It's the Gym. The inside's a maze of steam and sand and most people can't find their way through, so they stay in town to try and figure it out. If they _do_ manage to get through they have to face Flannery." He furrowed his brows. "It's really weird, though."

"What is?" I asked as we went to grab empty seats together. We'd made fast friends when we'd swapped some TMs with each other before breakfast – he'd given me Dig (which I taught Nonna; apparently, TMs and HMs were used via computer monitors – a bit like instructional videos, in a way) and I'd given him Roar in return – so it wasn't odd to do this.

"Well," he started, poking at the eggs he'd grabbed. "See, Flannery's a new Leader, right? Her granddad gave her the position when he retired a few weeks ago." _Weeks?_ I thought. _I figured it would have been longer than that. Now that I think about it, that's the same time I got pulled in…_ "And, well, she's scares a lot of trainers." He took a bite of his food.

"She does?" I asked, feeling oblivious.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded. "She's just, like, really intense. And so she blasts away at everyone's Pokémon; she doesn't hold back anything," he winced slightly, looking off to the side at a boy secluded at a far table. His head was down and his plate untouched; he radiated sadness. It dawned on me what had happened.

"She kills Trainer's Pokémon?" I asked, mouth hanging open. As far as I could tell, Gym Leaders weren't supposed to go that far in their matches. Sure, it happened sometimes, like what had happened between me and Stephanie back in Rustboro – and again in Mauville, though Morgan had been showing me a point; I was sure he didn't do that to regular trainers. The boy nodded.

"Yeah, that's why they're all so hesitant to figure out that maze," he flicked a hand to the other trainers filtering in. "Hell, _I'm_ a little scared and I have the advantage here." He sighed.

I shook my head out of my memories. I wasn't sure if Flannery was actually Flannery, or if it was someone from our world who didn't know the limits – maybe they thought that the Pokémon weren't dead? Who knew. I dragged my mind away from the disturbing thoughts and pulled out my PokéDex from my bag, intent on figuring out why on earth Copper hadn't learnt any good water moves yet. I clicked through the list of Pokémon I had information on – those I'd caught, those I'd seen, etc – until I finally found Magikarp and then Gyarados. It beeped.

"_Once Gyarados goes on a rampage, its ferociously violent blood doesn't calm until it has burned everything down. There are records of this Pokémon's rampages lasting a whole month,_" it said in an electronic tone. I blinked and stared down at Copper's Pokéball. I knew, from brief stints of watching the cartoon, that Gyarados were violent – which was supported by the Lake of Rage scenario in Pokémon versions Gold, Crystal, and Silver. But _my_ Gyarados didn't seem so violently inclined. She looked like a beast, sure what 20 foot creature wouldn't? But she was actually just very stoic, despite the fact her face was formed into a semi-permanent scowl. I shook my head. _We'll get to that if it comes up_, I promised myself. I flipped through the specie information and to the list of attacks that the half water half flying type could learn by leveling up.

"_In order, Gyarados can learn Bite first and then Thrash, Dragon Rage, Leer, Twister, Hydro Pump, Rain Dance, Dragon Dance, and Hyper Beam,_" it beeped.

I furrowed my brows, trying to figure out how much we'd have to train until she could learn Hydro Pump. It seemed to take hours upon hours for her to learn anything at all, so that would be a few levels up, game standard. I'd go with in five levels she'd learn Thrash, and she was about a level 23, maybe, so that would mean… I twitched.

"Level freaking 48?" I yelled at my Pokéball, looking like a crazy person. I clenched my eyes such and breathed deeply, rubbing fingers across my forehead. I was getting headache. I threw my hands off my head and punched the ground in an admittedly immature fit. I took another deep breath and grabbed a different Pokéball. "C'mon, Nonna," I told my Numel. She just blinked stupidly at me and followed when I started walking. "Let's see how affective your ground moves are."

* * *

Nonna and I had only spent about an hour training her up and not much happened. She was a slow creature – both mentally and physically, it seemed apparent whenever I tried to talk with her like I did my other Pokémon – and it took forever for us to get up a single ledge. I think we only fought four Pokémon in that time. When I'd finally headed back to the Pokémon Center most of the trainers were there – some probably hadn't even left the building – and a few of them had ditched the town entirely. Personally, all I wanted to do was relax in the hot springs out back of the Center and go to sleep. Hopefully, Nonna and I would get an early start in the morning and be battling 'Flannery' in the afternoon. As I pushed my way to the back rooms to change into a bathing suit (which I'd bought at the gift shop next door) the front doors of the Center crashed open and the boy I'd befriended earlier came rushing in, a wilting Vaporeon in his hands.

"Please," he begged Nurse Joy, "Please help her!"

"Chancy!" Nurse Joy called, telling soothing things to the boy to calm him down. The pink Pokémon came out and carted off the injured water fox to the back room. I walked over, slightly concerned that a water type in a thicket of fire and ground types could get hurt so badly.

"What happened?" I asked as I came upon them. Nurse Joy excused herself, effectively passing on a half-sobbing teenage boy into my incapable hands. He turned to me, his blue hair covering his matching eyes as they leaked tears.

"_Flannery_," he spat. "Flannery's what happened. Flannery is the one who killed my Pokémon – Flannery's the one who wouldn't take no for an answer!" he shouted, his face betraying his anger clearly as well as the hysteria that was hidden in it. He chocked.

"Wouldn't take no…?" I prompted, sensing he really needed to talk about this; and, selfishly, I wanted to know what happened, too. I could see that all the trainers that were left in Lavaridge were observing us, half terrified themselves.

"I tried to forfeit the match," he said. "I told her she'd get my money, that I'd come back later and try again, that I just needed to get my Pokémon healed," he trailed off, looking at the door to the back room sadly. He was quieter now. "And she said no. She wouldn't let me leave, she _made_ me battle her. And they weren't strong enough," he shuddered, rubbing his forearm over his eyes, a useless act.

We didn't talk after that, not really. I lead him to a corner of couches and the kids and teens there cleared out to give him space. They obviously knew what it felt like to fear for their Pokémon so intensely. The boy lay down and curled up, closing his eyes. He wasn't asleep, I knew, but he needed to be alone. Me? I walked out of the Center, a clear intention to my march:

This Flannery impersonator needed to be dealt with _now_.

* * *

I had planned to march into the gym and confront whoever had taken Flannery's position.

I _had_ planned to. That isn't what happened.

I entered the doors as angrily as planned, but when I stepped through the doorway I was confronted with an all too familiar heat and the rolling humidity that was present in Fiery Path. I coughed when I breathed in the steam, my lungs feeling full and heavy – not the way it should be when breathing – and I also took off my glasses, which had, once more, fogged up. Looking through my more-than-usual blurry eyes, I saw… nothing.

"Damn," I muttered, "he wasn't kidding when he talked about this place."

Wishing I had a bird Pokémon to gust away the steam, I headed into the heart of the maze. At first, I tried trailing my hand on the wall, but instantaneously, my palm blistered. Even with the glove between the heated stone and my hand I felt the pain and jerked the appendage away, hissing. Mentally cussing up a storm, I blindly followed my instincts up the corridor. I thought I was heading in the right direction but it was hard to tell, what with my sudden near-blindness and all. But, as I was walking, another surprise came my way, this time in the form of me falling through the floor.

"Ahhh!" I screamed, a high-pitched annoying thing that echoed off the dense walls. I landed on a sandy floor, crumpled in a heap and my head spinning. After orienting myself, I looked around – only to see the familiar half-sight of steam and dark patches of wall sticking out. I sighed, standing unsteadily; it seemed this particular gym had been copied spot on in the game, unlike the others. For a while, as I tripped my way through the maze, up and down sand tunnels and hot-water elevators, I tried to remember what the floor plan in the game was – it was a simple thing, I knew that much, but no matter what I did to rack my memory I couldn't seem to come up with anything. Too long in this world, I supposed, not quite as sad as I should have been. I _should_ have been grieving my lost life back in the real world, but I didn't; maybe I really was cut out for this place after all.

Twenty minutes later I screamed again, this time at one of the hot-water elevator lifts. It geysered me up to the floor above, the aqua scalding the bottoms of my legs and burning through the bike shorts I wore. The hours old ash that clung to my skin stained me now, a new paint that was formed with a mixture of sweat and steam. I felt so dirty; all I wanted was to go back to the Center and relax, but I knew I couldn't. I remembered the look in that boy's eyes as he carried his fallen Pokémon in and I knew that I couldn't stop just because I was frustrated. I looked up, still crouching where the geyser had landed me. To my eternal astonishment, there stood a woman in jeans and a black cut off t-shirt. Her hair, on the contrary, was blond and braided whereas Flannery's was long and red. I stood and she stared coldly at me.

"You the Gym Leader I've been hearing about?" my anger resurfacing.

"Another challenger so late?" she said, voice accented with something near unrecognizable. It vaguely sounded like my language teacher back in the Real World, though, and I realized she must have been French or at least spoke it.

"Are you from the real world?" I asked her, clenching my hands. "Is Pokémon just supposed to be a game? Did you wake up here a few weeks ago, confused at where you were?" Her eyes flashed in something, but she didn't acknowledge me with an answer. Instead, a question.

"How do you know this?" she questioned me, advancing a step, her own hands fisted.

"Because it happened to me!" I shouted, the heat frustrating me and muddling my mind. "And to Stephanie and Hiro and Eric and Morgan!" I said, throwing my hand around. "You aren't dreaming, dimwit," I told her, guessing just what her thoughts on the matter were. She probably thought that this was a dream, that she took her favorite Gym types leader role and she was just battling like she did in the game – fainting and taking turns and what_ever_.

"No, it is not," she agreed, smirking slightly and hitching a hand onto her curvaceous hip.

"Wai – what?" I blinked owlishly at her. She _knew_?

"I figured it out a while ago," she said smugly, cleaning a finger nail disinterestedly. "You wouldn't believe how much fun it's been, facing these opponents!" she went on to say, grinning viciously at me. Despite her obvious preference of Pokémon type, she reminded me of a sharp-toothed shark.

"You realize," I whispered, astonished. "You realized exactly what you were doing?" I asked.

"What, that those little urchins died?" she asked, sounding half disgusted. And then, she laughed. "Hahahaha! They were hardly a feat for _me_. What, did you think I would just let such pathetic creatures go?" she asked, painted mouth still upturned in a smile. I wanted to rip her heart out of her throat – if she even had one. "And now," she started, becoming serious, "it is your turn."

"Fine! That's the way you want it, you sick bitch?" I growled, all thoughts of helping her understand, of trying to forgive her obliviousness, gone. Because she wasn't ignorant of any part of this situation, she knew exactly what she was doing. _Fine. She wants it, she can have it._

"Go, Numel!" she called forth the dumb creature.

"Get it, Cop," I growled out, tossing my Gyarados onto the field. She curled around us, floating just above the floor and stretching out and filling most of the room. While she didn't know any water moves, she was also a flying type and ground moves, like the powerful Magnitude that a Numel could call forth, wouldn't work on her. "Bite!"

"Take down!" the woman called.

Our two Pokémon collided, though it was obvious that Copper would easily win this round; her mouth fully encompassed the Numel's back, crunching down and halting it from continuing its attack. She flung it across the field and back before the woman. Said she-evil hissed at her fallen Pokémon; to my surprise, she didn't recall it, though it was obviously too injured to continue.

"I said Take Down, Numel," she told the creature. It feebly rose, huffing its exhaustion through its mouth, leaving only faint wisps of smoke whereas before it breathed a chimney of soot.

"Your Pokémon cannot battle, return it before it gets too injured," I told the stubborn woman. She glared at me.

"Mind your own business. Numel, Take Down!" she ordered it again. I furrowed my brow in confusion and the Numel hit Copper head on, though it did very little damage, too weak for anything more. "Order an attack or we will win easily!" she called to me.

"Any attack I order would surely kill your Pokémon, don't you realize that?" I said, shaking my head. "Return your Pokémon."

"Take Down again!"

And then, I realized. She wouldn't stop, no matter what. I tried to deny it, I shook my head, but there was no use. The Numel attacked again.

"I refuse," I said, hands clenched and near trembling. I flung my fists to my side, locking my arms. "I will not kill your Pokémon!"

"You are pathetic!" she hissed at me. "Cannot even win a battle, how did you make it this far?" That pushed me too far.

"You're the one who's pathetic!" I shouted. "Bite, Copper!" My Pokémon lunged, roaring, and struck the Numel. Copper released it and then the Pokémon was down and out, fading on the ground. I was trembling, my shoulders shaking and my head down; this was almost worse than losing Tilly. I had no choice in this, just as I had no choice in so many things that I'd done in the past few weeks. My mind flashed back to my fight with Stephanie, using Whismur as a pawn for my own ends. And then, to Tilly and how I'd foolishly agreed to Morgan's terms. Tears slipped down my face as she emotionlessly called her Pokémon back, its ball going gray.

"Slugma!" she called out. I returned Copper wordlessly and threw Nonna's ball out. She burst forth, mooing strangely at the emotions that sparked in the air.

"Magnitude," the two of us ordered, the woman's words harsher than mine. Nonna struck the ground first, throwing her mass onto the floor, smashing it and sending a shock wave through the cracks and towards the fire slug. It mewled, struck down in a single blow; dead like its companion. Nonna knew what to do, it seemed, and had no qualms with it. I was glad for that; surely Vex, with his temper and morals, would have opposed and stood there, berating me in his own way. I couldn't have handled that right now. She called out her next Pokémon now, temper flying as fast as the ball that held her Camerupt.

"Ruuuuuuu!" it roared, smashing the ground in an uncalled for Magnitude. Nonna took the hit, toppling sideways; I was both relieved and happy when she stood, her brief loyalty to me already endearing her to me.

"Focus your energy," I told her. She steadied herself and the air around her started to heat as her inner magma molted. "Dig!"

"Numeee!" she roared, scrambling in the cracks on the floor and making her way under them.

"Urg!" the woman shouted, frustrated. Her attacks were useless if Camerupt couldn't pinpoint just where Nonna was to send a Magnitude her way. "Sunny Day!" she called, desperate. A burst of light came from one of the mounds on the creatures back and soared into the air, lighting the room blindingly, like a miniature sun, and the room warmed even further.

"Meel!" Nonna called, coming up from behind the Camerupt and smashing into it.

"Quickly, Nonna," I said, "Another Magnitude, close range!" She called her name again and smashed into the floor, sending the other fire type flying into, and through, the far wall. One of the mountains on its back cracked and a stream of quickly cooling lava burst forth. I winced, wishing that none of this had to happen. _Necessary,_ I told myself. _Necessary and cruel_. Again, she recalled her now dead Pokémon, tossing its grayed out ball onto the growing pile.

"Just one more," she muttered to herself, clenching at the last one. Her face hardened. "Torkoal, finish her!"

"Return, Nonna," I told my panting Pokémon. I held her ball in my hand and whispered my praises, wishing that none of this had to happen. _If wishes were horses beggars would ride,_ I thought back to what my father used to tell me. _If only_. "Copper, I need you again."

"Gya!" she roared curling herself around me and the rest of our half of the arena. It was comforting, her closeness.

"Over heat!" our nameless opponent called to her Pokémon. I jerked, shocked at the immediate use of the strongest attack. Instantly, the room filled with an intense temperature, several parts of the floor gushing forth bubbling geysers and new steam. The attack hit us and I screamed; it was painful, a searing flush under the surface of my skin, boiling my blood in my veins. I jerked back and curled into myself, trying to escape the inescapable. Above me, Copper roared, struck and withering.

"Copper, return!" I called, putting her back in her captivity before she could take any more damage. She would be fine, I knew; water Pokémon didn't feel the heat quite as badly as the rest, after all. I rummaged around my belt, searching for the best Pokémon. Finally, I settled on one – the first in the row, my strongest. "My Vexyl, you have to end this," I whispered, praying my Pokémon would agree with this decision.

"Combusk!" he cawed as he escaped his Pokéball. He gave a brief look over his shoulder at me and nodded. I gave a sigh of relief, glad that he understood. It wasn't an easy decision, having to end these poor Pokémons lives, but we had to. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I yelled in my mind. _This is all so stupid!_

"Over heat again!" our opponent called.

"Tooooor-koal!" it yelled, heating up.

"Jump and double kick!" I called to Vex. He obeyed, darting quickly in the direction of the turtle and jumping high in the air, the bright light from Camerupt still hanging like a sun above us; heating and energizing both of our fire-types, I knew.

"Combuu!" Vex yelled, landing near the Torkoal and slashing around a foot for the first kick. It landed, but the turtle released its attack just as Vex rested his first claw on the ground and readied himself for the next kick. Instead, he had to brace himself on the craggy ground and threw his feathered arms in front of his face, warding off the worst of the heat. It blasted by me, scorching me worse than it had when Copper had kept me from the worst of the hit.

"Ah!" I fell to the floor on my knees, panting and trying to fluff out my shirt to release the heat. "D – " I coughed. "Double kick, Vexyl!"

"Busken, bus!" he round-house kicked the Torkoal square in the face with his first hit, and then landed the second on its shell, knocking it into a deep chasm that Nonna had made the previous match.

"Get UP God dammit!" the woman yelled. "Merde! Body Slam! Over heat! Some-zing!" she slipped further into her accent.

"Recall your Pokémon," I begged her. "Please. I don't want to do this anymore… don't make me," my voice shook.

"Shut up you little street rat!" she yelled. "Get up! Yesss," she hissed as her Pokémon stood. "Body Slam!" The thing charged my Combusken, rearing its head.

"Jump, Double kick again," I sighed out, reluctantly, bowing my head. I heard more than saw him hit the turtle, knocking it into a wall this time.

"No no no no no!" the woman roared. "How could you? You estupid child! How could you beat me?" she cried out, stomping around.

"Shut up!" I yelled, marching across the field unsteadily. I stood before her, huffing with my fists at my side again. "Shut up! You brought this on yourself, you shouldn't be so damned stuck up, you should have been loyal to your Pokémon – you should have, you should have done them better!" I yelled, half crying as the weight of their murders weighed on me. My eyes were clenched shut and I continued my tirade. "You're selfish and dumb and foolish! That was murder I just committed, murder! You made me do it, you made me!" It wasn't the most eloquent rant I'd ever had, but it was what I felt and it was true.

"This is not my fault! You little witch – " she started, but I cut her off.

_Slap!_

I panted, my hand lowered from the hit I'd landed hard on her cheek. She looked astonished for all of a minute before her face contorted into anger once more. " -!"

"No!" I snarled, beyond angry. "Don't make excuses for yourself. You're wrong and _you're_ the pathetic one. How could you do that to them? They were your Pokémon, they trusted you to keep them safe!" I shook my head, beyond rationalizing anything with this insane woman. I looked at her shirt and grabbed the pendant off of it; a badge. "I ever see you again," I told her, calmer than I had been a moment before thanks to a deep breath and the claws on my arm from Vexyl. "I ever see you again and I'll do worse than slapping you across the face."

I turned from her and located the hole I'd entered the chamber from, intent on finding my way out. Vexyl and I were quiet as we went around the bends of the maze; he steered me, able to see past the dense air and to our exit. Our minds were full and teeming with emotions that I didn't want to feel anymore; how much would this place put me through? How could I go on? How, how, how? I let out a shuddering breath as we found the front door, much quicker than the time it'd taken me to find whoever it was we fought. I returned him as I made my way to the Pokémon Center, the stars above me twinkling brightly and a faint red glow warming the sky from the north. They were deceptively hopeful and for that moment I hate them.

I entered the Pokémon Center and went over to the boy from earlier. He looked up at me, red rimmed eyes half lidded with sadness. I threw him the badge I'd taken from the woman and he caught it, bewildered. He looked up at me after examining it and his big blue eyes were surprised. "You…?" I nodded.

"She won't be hurting anyone anymore," I promised.

* * *

**A/N:** Sigh. Just, sigh. This is turning out to be such a serious fic; honestly, I didn't think about it this way in the beginning. I just wanted a generic little OC trainer story because, well, that's what _I_ like to read. I am loving it, though, in a way you would love a gruesome factoid from history class or maybe the way you'd be interested in a murder investigation. Anyway, what do you think of the chapter? **Also: I have a drawing up of the team so far_. _**With the exception of Nonna, since I didn't have her yesterday when I drew the thing. The link will be on my profile; it has Me, Vex, Minnow, Roxie, Copper, and Jesus right in front of the mountainous region of Mt. Chimeny. Look at it, its purdy, I promise! :D

Thanks to my reviewers: **Hironada, IcyFeather12, Ie-Maru, ChaoticxxHearts,** and** Sahxyel.**


	12. Eleventh Endangerment

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Eleven: **

I awoke from a restless slumber the next morning, the respite having not done much good. I rubbed at my bleary green eyes and tried to work the kinks from my back; the other trainers, having heard what I'd done, were apparently thankful and one of them gave up their spot on the couches to me, despite the late hour I'd returned. I glanced over to the far wall, expecting to find the boy still curled up and in depression; how could he not be, after losing his whole team? I half felt like I was watching as Morgan fell from grace whenever I glanced at my new friend. Strangely, though, my eyes were full of nothing when I looked over at his place and I furrowed my brow in confusion. I shrugged and headed for the cafeteria. I ate that day with Minnow and Roxie, haven't not really released them since before Fallarbor a few days previously. There was more chatter around me that day than there had been – probably at the relief that the Flannery imposter was gone; I heard talk that several would be leaving that day but also something else.

"Did you see them?" a girl dressed in cotton candy pink asked her yellow-clad companion.

"Mm-hmm," the other girl nodded enthusiastically. I realized after a moment that I didn't recognize them and that they must be new to town. "I did! I wonder why they sent so many, wouldn't one have been enough?"

"It's just the way they do things here in Hoenn – very hands on and all that," the first girl replied.

"Oh, Steven Stone was just the best," the second girl sighed, eyes dreamy.

I turned away from them as they started to squeal over the man I'd met back in Dewford. _Steven Stone,_ I thought. _Doesn't he have some importance to the plot-line? I can't remember…_ I racked my brain several times over as my Pokémon and I ate but to no avail. I couldn't seem to remember the plot of the game and to be honest it was starting to worry me greatly. How was I supposed to fight against this world if I couldn't remember just what I was supposed to do? I sighed and returned my Pokémon, intent on getting out of this God – or, Arceus, I suppose – forsaken town. I grabbed my backpack and hooked on my belt, heading downstairs. I glanced around the place one last time and spotted the boy from yesterday; I walked over to him, glad to recognize the purring Vaporeon in his arms. He had a sad little smile on his face.

"Hey," I said, "Glad to see your Pokémon's okay."

"Yeah, she's going to be all right," he agreed. He stood and held a hand to me. For the first time I realized that he was taller than me. "I'm Anderson."

"Lucy," I shook his hand. We broke apart and he gestured to his Pokémon.

"Erebia and I are going to head to Johto," he said before pausing, hands running over his empty Pokémon belt. "We-uh, we're going to start over, she and I. Maybe next time we might actually stand a chance."

"Good luck," I told him, not terribly sure what to say. What do you tell a grieving man? For surely he was no longer a boy; a child couldn't comprehend the pain and sadness of losing the family you'd created. He nodded and we both left the Center, him heading off to the mountain side, but I paused to watch him go. His gait was steady but his shoulders were slumped, showing just how defeated he felt. I shook my head and started in my own direction, down the ledges and to Route 111. _He should have never had to go through that_, I thought sadly. Whoever – or whatever – had brought us all here wasn't as all knowing as they might have thought. What sense did bringing that lunatic of a fire trainer make?

I was starting to form a theory about why I was here – why we Real World people were all here, except perhaps our newest member – and it had to do with the plot line of the game, or what I could remember of it at least. I knew that in every game the main character had to defeat not only the Teams, but also the Rivals and the Gym Leaders plus the Elite Four and Champion – the entire League, basically. In the Sapphire/Ruby/Emerald games – the different versions we'd all been playing had alluded to the fact that I wasn't stuck in my own game, but the world in general – that meant Teams Aqua and Magma for the antagonists. The Teams, subsequently, raised Kyogre and Groudon from their slumbers and put the world in peril. I wasn't quite sure what happened in Emerald, having never had to the chance to play it, but it must have been along those lines. My theory was mostly based on the lack of all evidence I had to the contrary; I wasn't basing this off of any concrete proof I had, because I _didn't_ have any. What other choice was there but to assume by what I knew and guess from there?

I rubbed my tense shoulders and rolled my neck to the sky; all of this thinking was giving me a migraine. No matter how many times I'd thought of our situation I could never come to any decent conclusion. How was I supposed to figure this out without anything to go by? For all intents and purposes my life for the past few weeks had been near exactly as the games portrayed it; the only discrepancies were the time line (but honestly, how could I believe that this world would just wait for me to get on to the next plot point?) and the Gym Leaders. It made no sense! I released my frustration into the sky in the form of an aggravated yell, letting the sound echo off of the cavernous walls of Route 111.

"Well aren't you Miss Ladylike?" a familiar voice asked ahead of me. I looked down and blinked, surprised at not just one person but _four_.

"Brendan?" I asked, taking in his disheveled appearance; he must have still been on the road, like me. I looked at the other three, one of whom I recognized and the other two I didn't. "Stephen Stone?"

"Miss Lucy, yes?" Stephen asked.

"Uh, yes," I nodded, kind of surprised he remembered my name.

"She's the one, then?" asked one of the two I didn't know. Stephen nodded.

"The one?" I briefly felt like I had been pulled out of a Lord of the Rings movie. Brendan appeared just as confused as I was and shrugged when I shot him a look of askance. Stephen trained his eyes on me, his steely gaze trying to hide a calculating gleam. His façade didn't cut it, though – helping to raise three four year olds gave good practice on the detecting lies front.

"Yes," he nodded, smiling slightly, the expression fake. "The one who fought and defeated our newest Gym Leader up in Lavaridge. We were not aware of the problems she was causing until someone spoke up and sent us a letter, citing encouragement from your win."

"Oh," I blinked again, surprised. It _had_ been only last night after all. "Well, um, that's good…?"

"Indeed," he seemed amused; his companions, on the other hand, hadn't stopped sharing looks with each other, a silent conversation. I felt that they were keeping something from me, but I just didn't know what. It made my shoulders itch with paranoia and I had a hard time shrugging it off. "Well," he clapped his hands together and gave me another fake smile, "We are most thankful for your unwitting assistance. Good luck on your journey." He gave me a slight bow and the three of them – League members, perhaps? – headed off, up the mountains, and to Lavaridge. There was something more to his words, and, frustratingly, I couldn't figure a bit of it out.

"That was _weird_," Brendan said beside me, forgotten in the disarray that was Stephen.

"No kidding," I agreed. I shook my head to rid it of the leftover confusion and faced the white haired boy. "So what are you doing here, then?"

"Oh, well, I _was_ exploring the Desert – you know, looking for Pokémon for my Dad," he explained. "I was about to head back down to Mauville when I ran into those guys; I recognized the logo of the League on their jackets," something I hadn't noticed at all, nor paid the slightest attention to, "and I asked them what they were doing so far from Headquarters. They told me about that crazy Fire Chick of a Leader they'd appointed and that some trainer had blown into town, taken her out, and headed off." He paused and looked me up and down; I tried not to blush – it wasn't a look I received often, and I was sure he didn't mean it in the way my mind took it. "Didn't realize it was you, though."

"Yeah, well," I shrugged. It was kind of blowing my mind just how quickly word spread around this place. "She was killing off peoples Pokémon. How could I let that go?"

"Yeah, but she could have killed _your_ Pokémon," he pointed out, like I was stupid.

"I hadn't thought of that at the time," I admitted realizing that it _was_ a stupid thing to do in hindsight. I sighed. _I ought not to be so foolhardy; who would I have lost this time if I weren't so lucky?_

"Whatever, what's done is done," he said. "You know, you should check out the Desert sometime; there are a lot of Pokémon that can only be found there." He paused and narrowed his eyes at me. "You _are_ sticking to the guidelines, right?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "_Yes_, for Go – Arceus sake," I slipped momentarily, thankfully remembering that they used the Legendaries in place of religious figures here. "A Magikarp, a Numel, and an Oddish are all I've caught since we fought, happy?"

"No need to get snippy," Brendan huffed; I was starting to remember why I didn't like him the first time we met – he was far too full of himself. "I _was_ going to let you borrow my goggles to venture the Desert with, but if you aren't interested – "

"No, wait, I'm interested," I cut him off, eyes wide. I forgot I needed those. I gave him my best smile. "No need to take me too seriously, now…"

"Right," he rolled his eyes. "Here, just give them back next time we see each other," he thrust the brown leather coated object in my hand and turned away from me. "Have fun – and remember, only the first one you see!"

"Yeah, yeah!" I hollered at his back as he walked away. "Stupid, arrogant, snot nosed boy," I mumbled to myself as I walked towards the Desert.

Immediately upon entering the area the sand started to swirl around me and smudge my glasses. I pulled them off and tucked them in my bag before jamming the goggles over my face. My vision cleared – well, mostly. The sand specks were still a flurry in front of my face and the land before me was a beige-yellow in appearance, but I could see where I was going for the most part (thankfully, my eyes weren't terrible without my glasses, though it _was_ annoying to only see the blurry shapes of things). I stumbled my way through the sands that weren't as hot as I expected. I leant down and grasped a handful between my fingers, letting it slip between the digits like grains in an hourglass. It felt warm and fine, like the kind of sand you found on the best of beaches, and shimmered faintly with rosy hues. It was beautiful in a way an errant land never should be. I loved it.

I shifted my way through the sand dunes for over an hour, not really moving far – this place was a lot harder to navigate than the grassy routes and even the mountain side. I also hadn't found a Pokémon and I attributed part of that from my lack of ability to see properly. After a while I had almost given up traversing this beautifully desolate land and I started back to the ridge in the cavernous wall that held the desert in. I slumped my way over dunes and through hills, spitting out the sand that got in my mouth when I took too deep a breath, and was almost back to the entrance when I tripped over something.

"Oh, dammit!" I grumbled, rubbing at my sore bottom. I looked down, hoping for it to be a Sandshrew or perhaps a Trapinch, but no such luck. "Great, I get a tumbleweed. Awesome." I rolled my eyes. Really, how hard is it to find a Pokémon in this twice damned place? I adjusted my goggles and looked up, ready to head back to the Route, when instead I see a great, towering… tower. It seemed to fade with the wind only to reappear as the gust of the eternal sandstorm passed. _Mirage Tower? Really?_ I grinned at my luck. _Hell yes_. I had completely forgotten about this feature in Emerald – the lack of my game experience with that version doing me no favors – and I was excited to explore the Tower.

"What was at the top again?" I questioned myself, entering the stone building.

The inside was dusty, predictably, and smelt faintly of an ancient book or a grandparent – the scent that was something only the old could carry. I hitched up my goggles to get a better look at the shadowy interior and on the far wall I spotted a rickety wooden ladder that led to the upper floor. I walked briskly over to it and warily started to climb, fearful that it would collapse any moment. _All right, Lucy, stop being so damned paranoid._

One part of me pushed that particular blame onto the words I'd had with Stephen and his companions earlier.

It still bothered me that I didn't know what they were doing, or what they were talking about, or what it all had to do with me. All I knew was that I _needed_ to figure it out; instinctually, I felt as though I had no other choice than to understand what was happening with them. I'd placed the conversation and their actions in the same file in my brain as the 'Who the hell brought us here?' category. It seemed to fit, oddly enough, and I briefly wondered if Stephen and the League had anything to do with this. As I walked around the second floor of the place, I paused at this revelation and my eyes widened.

"Holy shi – ahh!" I screeched, surprised as the floor beneath me gave way and I tumbled through brief darkness and to the ground below. "Oomf." I landed with a thud and once again on my back. I rolled onto my hip and curled into a fetal position, biting my lip to distract myself from the pain that stretched from the middle of my back to my shoulders. "Uhhh," I groaned, scrunching my eyes together. It felt like I'd broken something, but I wasn't sure what, and that frightened me. I slowly took a ball from my belt with my left hand, my injured right shoulder preventing me from using my dominant hand, and released Jesus.

"Kir?" she asked, already buggy large eyes wide in worry as she took me in.

"J, I need you to listen to me okay?" She nodded. "I need you to teleport us to the Mauville Pokémon Center, all right?"

"Kirlia-kir," she nodded briskly and placed her dainty arms on my injured shoulder lightly. We glowed slightly and I closed my eyes as we were whisked off to the Center. I opened my eyes when a frightened shriek reached my ears.

"Oh, dear! Are you all right?" asked the pink haired Nurse.

"I don't know," I groaned. She started to prod me and I hissed when she reached my right shoulder; it stung something awful.

"Where did this happen at?" she asked me, still prodding at me, but lighter. I could hear her Chancy in the background, waiting to be helpful.

"I was in the Desert," I started. "And I looked over as I was exiting and saw Mirage Tower appear."

"Really?" she paused and blinked, wide eyed and awed. She shook her head after a moment and went back to studying me – my shoulder in particular this time.

"Yeah – ow! Jesus!" I growled when she pushed at the back of my scapula a little too hard.

"Oh, oops, sorry," she apologized. "What's a Jesus?" she sounded confused and peered at me with her disconcertingly pink eyes.

"Eh, my Kirlia," I said. _Wow. Déjà vu. You know, now that I think about it, that was probably one of my better naming jobs._ "Anyway, I'd made it up to the second floor before the ground fell out beneath me and I landed on the stones below."

She sighed and told her Pokémon to bring her some things, though I wasn't really paying attention at that point. Jesus – my Pokémon, that is, not the religious figure she'd been named after – had started up a very concerned conversation in my head.

_Master, are you all right?_

I nodded. _Fine, ballerina, I'm fine._

_What happened?_

_Just took a little tumble like I told the Nurse._

_Oh._ She blinked her red eyes at me, still not looking at ease. _She will take care of you?_

_Yes, she'll do right by me, so don't worry, all right?_

_Yes, Master._

The rest of the conversation continued on in that same vein with her repeating her questions at me over and over again. I was fairly certain she kept asking them because she was worried and not sure what else to do; I didn't blame her, she'd never been in this position with me before – having her Master hurt instead of another Pokémon. It put it all into perspective. After a while Nurse Joy finally figured out just what was wrong with me and I was glad. Jesus had landed us in the middle of the front room of the Center and, while I had been sat up during the inspection, the hard tile floors were anything but comfortable.

"Well," Joy clapped her hands together, beaming at me. "It seems the worst of your injuries are a large bruise on you back and a sprained shoulder – nothing that can't be fixed. Here," she took something from her Chancy, "this is a salve to ease the pain in your bruise. I'll help you put some on in the back room and then we can put on your sling." She helped me up with my good arm and I snatched up Jesus' fallen Pokéball from the floor and returned her.

"Thank you, ballerina, I don't know what I would have done without you," I whispered to her Pokéball. I liked to think that she could hear me, but of course I'd never be sure lest I asked her. I don't think I would. Some things just aren't meant to be known.

Joy helped me to the back room and we pulled up my shirt; I was so utterly thankful that I'd taken to not wearing that jacket I'd started out with – it was bad enough taking off a tank top, I don't know how I would maneuver myself out of a spandex jacket. The instant she applied the cool cream to my bruise I let out a satisfied moan, my relief was almost palpable. Joy chuckled at me and finished smearing it on before rolling my shirt back down. She helped me into the awkward device they called a sling and the standard light blue cotton was a relief against the strain in my shoulder.

"Now, you ought to not do anything too strenuous in the next few days, okay?" she asked of me, though it came out as more of a demand. She had her hands on her hips and despite the white nurse uniform she looked pretty formidable to me.

"I won't be climbing any towers, if that's what you mean," I joked. "No, I'm just going to walk over to Verdanturf and through the Tunnel then down to Petalburg," I informed her.

"Well, I don't know how much I like that idea, but if you're really set on it I suppose I don't see the harm. But!" she put a finger up in front of my face. "If you get winded or are in too much discomfort you _must_ take a break or you'll never get better, understand?" she warned me. I had the feeling that she'd know if I followed her orders or not and just nodded briskly, eyes wide.

"Yes, Ma'am," I told her, feeling quite like the red-handed child. "I'm just going to go visit the Gym Leader, okay? Take a break for today?" For some reason I felt like this would make her happy and therefore less frightening to me. Turns out she liked the idea and helped me to the front door though I really had no trouble walking. I waved goodbye with my left hand and headed over to Morgan's Gym.

I tugged at the ball woven into my hair as I pushed open the Gym doors. It wasn't so long ago that I was in this very Gym, fighting for my badge and the lives of my Pokémon. It tugged at my heart, the longing feeling of wanting Tilly before me. I pushed it back and called out the Leader's name.

"Morgan?" I called, the word echoing around the steel plated room. I heard some rustling behind his office door and sure enough his fair-haired head popped out, soon followed by his body dressed in his customary black slacks and dark blue overcoat. I didn't see how he wore all that in the heat of Hoenn, but oh well.

"Lucy," he said, recognizing me instantly. I wondered just how alone he was in this world – or maybe he just had a good memory. I hoped for the latter – he certainly lingered in my mind, at least. "Finished with the Lavaridge Gym already?" I nodded.

"Yeah, and you won't believe what happened," I said. He narrowed his amethyst eyes on my bundled arm.

"First, tell me what happened to you and _then_ what you did to that poor Gym Leader," he teased lightly; it was hard to tell that he was joking with me, but some part of his serious outer face slipped and I could just catch a glimmer passed it. I liked what I saw.

"Trust me," I shook my head, my voice dulling slightly, "The Gym was much more dramatic."

* * *

Over the course of an hour I told my most serious friend what happened from the time I left him to the time I retreated from Lavaridge. A few minutes in he made tea and grabbed a couple of bowls of leftovers from his fridge and we had lunch while I talked. I had to admit, it was nice to just talk with him even if it was about some seriously serious topics. I rested gratefully in the chair he'd set in front of his desk; it felt like forever since I'd really taken a break from anything. When I'd finished the catch-up tale of my life he rubbed a large hand over his chin and his eyes were contemplative.

"So you say that you missed the first meetings between the Teams at Meteor Falls," he started and I nodded. "Then you were late to the battle scene that was supposed to happen between you and one of the leaders, but took them both out anyway – and at the same time, might I add," another nod. "And after that the person whom had taken over Flannery's position – whose name you never got – you fought and took out before falling down a rarely sighted tower in the desert." I nodded again. "Did I forget anything? You didn't leave out the part where you captured Latios or something, right?" he asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the last four and half days of my life.

"No," I chirped at him. "But I did raise a Magikarp into a Gyarados in that time."

He looked at me with dead panned eyes. "Of _course_ you did. Anyone ever tell you that you just happen to be a magnet for all things strange and otherwise?"

"Oh shut up," I told him. "She was my last bid at a water Pokémon before fighting the fire gym; a Hail Mary in the form of a little gold fish. And _did you know_ that Gyarados take for_ever_ to learn water attacks?" I asked him, still kind of aghast at the thought. Honestly, they're fish for crying out loud, they should know a water attack. He chuckled at me.

"That's what you get for trying to raise a Pokémon in a manner of days," he told me, smirking.

"Be quiet you know-it-all," I grouched at him. He sighed at me and our conversation turned serious once more.

"You said you had a theory about all of this?" he asked using his hands to gesticulate his meaning. I nodded, my black bangs flopping onto the glasses I'd placed back on my face.

"Mm-hmm," I hummed. "It was my conversation with the League Officials that struck me –"

"You spoke with League Officials?" he cut me off, lips thinned and eyes narrowed.

"Oh, well, maybe I _did_ forget to mention something," I laughed nervously. "Ha ha?"

"Get on with it," he rolled his eyes at me.

"Right, well," I cleared my throat. "After I left Lavaridge the League had apparently been contacted about that deranged bitch of a Gym Leader and came to investigate."

"You ought not to swear like that," he chided me.

"Quiet, you, you're not my father," I hitched a brow at him and he mirrored me. "At any rate, I met Stephen Stone and his little cronies just before the junction of the Desert and Route 111 and they said something that really bothered me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, one of the two I didn't recognize asked if I was 'The one,'" I made air brackets with my fingers, a rather awkward thing to do in a sling. I grimaced and placed my hurt arm on the rest of the chair. "When I asked Stephen about it he just brushed it off like they meant the one who beat the Flannery-imposter. But it just didn't sit right, you know? Call it gut instinct but there's something fishy going on and I think it has to do with why we're all _here_."

"You think he lied to you then?" Morgan asked, lacing his fingers together on his desk.

"No," I shook my head. "I _know_ he lied to me. I just don't know what about."

"This _is_ a conundrum," he admitted. "What, other than your gut, makes you think that Stone might have had anything to do with our dilemma?"

"Honestly I'm not sure," I told him. "Just when I was thinking about it – in Mirage Tower, in fact – I had labeled it the same way I'd labeled our problem without even really thinking about it. It just fit," I tried to explain, sounding foolish. "I wish I had something to prove all of this," I sighed, slouching.

"If it's any consolation, I believe you," Morgan stated.

"You do?" I asked, furrowing my brows. "Why?"

"Because," he said, looking me right in the eyes. "I believe _in_ you."

"I'm… not following."

He sighed. We both seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "If this is what you believe then I am going to trust you with it. Not," he held up a hand to the look on my face, "just because I have no other choice than to believe you. You've got a good head on your shoulders, even if you are a bit immature at times," he quirked a brow at me. "But I think that if anyone were to figure this out it would be you."

"Thanks," I told him, blown away at his confession. "I just hope you say the same thing when, somehow or another, I end up starting the Apocalypse."

"Oh, ha-ha," he said sardonically.

* * *

**A/N:** I was having too much fun writing a Humorous Morgan and I kind of didn't want to stop. You know you loved it too, don't deny. At any rate, I hope in this filler/PLOTLINE chapter I've addressed some things you've all commented on - most especially that Lucy seemed bitter towards most (yays for Anderson and and the Whitettes - a.k.a. Brendan and Morgan, yo) and that she was getting power hungry with that Gyarados. Let me note that all the stats I list for Pokemon are ACCURATE as far as Bulbapedia goes. Except for Lucy's bad math skills from last chapter - Gyarados actually learn Hydro Pump at level 40, not 48 (seriously, Luce, learn to do proper math. Gosh). Also: this will not be a romance fic as far as I know - and you'd think, as the author I'd know. No one's addressed this yet but I wanted to throw it out there. Why? Because of that one sentence when she get's looked over by Brendan and blushes, that's why. It's there to show she's not all powerful and You-Don't-Bother-Me-Cuz-I-Got-Skillz-Gee - blushing kind of counter acts that overly powerful personality and that's just about the only reason its in there.

All right, I do believe that's everything. Now, Review! Or else! And, trust me, an 'Or Else' means a lot to a creatively descructive mind like mine. Yes, be scared (_be very, very scared_). I think I'll stop with the bad jokes now.


	13. Twelfth Travels

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Twelve:**

I wasn't exactly honest with Nurse Joy when I told her that I wouldn't be travelling that day. It all started after my talk with Morgan; he had a scheduled Gym Match with an in town trainer and given my previous experience with the battlers of Mauville (let's just say I 'put the fear of Lucy in them' yeah?) he asked me to take a walk so I wouldn't scare the trainer off. I rolled my eyes; now who was making me seem power hungry? At any rate, I decided to head around the city for that walk. My first intended place was the far eastern shore that split Route 118 into two sections; it was the place that I'd spent most of my time in during my last stay in Mauville and it was a comfort spot for me. On the way, though**, **I was distracted by the shiny glimmer of a shop I passed by. I stopped to look into the yard beside them and found that I was peering at some rather speedy looking bikes.

_Oh, yeah,_ I thought, remembering that I was supposed to get one of these. I walked over to the front door of the shop – a large logo claiming them as Rydel's Bike Shop was emblazoned on the glass of the door – and went in. The interior was pleasantly cooled by an unseen air conditioner and the walls were practically coated in merchandise. Everything from bike chains to designer seat cushions and even baskets to hold the smaller Pokémon were equipped to the walls and various testable floor models around the shop.

"Ah, hello there!" a man came up to me from my right and grinned widely from behind a large moustache. The hair on top of his head, however, was missing and I had a feeling the moustache was a bit of a compensation piece. "I'm Rydel and I am the owner of this bike shop."

"Oh, hullo; I'm Lucy," I introduced myself after his awaiting pause.

"Are you interested in a bike, young lady? I know just the one for you!" he told me cheerily before dragging me by my good arm to one of the display model bikes littered around the room. We stopped in front of the glossy red one and he started pointing out the various features of it – which, needless to say, went right over my head. Remember when I mentioned I wasn't an outdoorsy person before all this? Yeah, bikes are included in that. "…and it's only 30,000 pokébucks!"

I had been nodding at his appropriate pauses and saying things like, "Uh-huh, yeah, sounds cool," so when he told me the cost of the model I jerked my head around in surprise. My neck cricked and my glasses were near about knocked askew from my face. "Do what now?"

"A new model, young lady, it's only 30,000 pokébucks. Surely a talented trainer like you could afford that, no?" he asked, still grinning widely behind his facial hair. I could literally feel my eye twitch.

_30, 000 pokébucks? Is he __insane?__ Who could afford that?_ I ranted in my head. Sure, I was doing well so far – I figured I had about 80,000 pokébucks at the moment – but I wasn't about to spend more than a third of my money on a damn bike. "Well, I don't really - um," I stuttered.

His face became less jovial as I spoke and a frown marred his features. There was a beat of silence between us as I squirmed and he gave me a hard look. Suddenly, his face broke out into his previous smile and he clasped his hands together. "Ah, I have a solution! And a free one, at that," he said to my hesitant look. "I can let you have a bike so long as you keep my stickers plastered to it and ride it wherever you need to go!"

"That's great!" I beamed, truly excited. This would make travelling _so_ much easier.

"Let's get you a floor model, m'dear, they aren't quite as expensive as the others," he explained, grabbing my left hand. He went to take my right and when he could he realized that I had my arm up in a sling. Truthfully, my shoulder wasn't hurting quite as much as it had a few hours earlier. He quirked his head to the side and furrowed his brow at my injury. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, I took a tumble – sprained shoulder, or so says Nurse Joy," I shrugged awkwardly.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Lucy," he shook his head sadly. "Means you can't get a bike."

I didn't move for a moment, shocked. "What do you mean, I can't get a bike?" I asked, eyes wide.

"It takes about four weeks for a sprained shoulder to heal," he informed me. "You'd never be able to navigate a bicycle with a sprained shoulder."

"It does?" I groaned. Just great. Figures something like this would happen to me. "Oh," I said, sounding like a child who'd had their trip to Disney cancelled. "Well, thanks anyway, Mr. Rydel."

I left the shop and kicked up some dust on the road, unhappy with this turn of events. Looking at my arm I narrowed my eyes in a petulant sort of anger and headed towards the Gym once more. I stopped in and let the battle between a purple haired boy (the challenger, I assumed) and Morgan finish their match (no surprise that he won, though the challenger's Pokémon were still in fairly good condition by the end) before telling Morgan goodbye.

"Leaving already?" he asked as he applied a potion to a dent in his Magnemite's plating.

"Yeah, there's really not much left to do here. Besides, I want to stop by and visit Stephanie in Rustboro and maybe get the Nurse in their Center to give me a clean bill of health," I explained.

"You do realize that it isn't up to the Nurse to decide if you're healthy or not, don't you? Even if she says your fine your shoulder will hurt you."

"Why do you have to be so damn _rational_ all the time?" I whined. He chuckled at me and I was, once again, sort of surprised to hear the sound. At our first meeting he had seemed so serious and bitter and cynical – who know he could be so happy, too?

"Because one of us needs to be," he reasoned.

"Oh, fine, be that way. Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you then – I'm going to have to stop by on my way to Route 118, anyway," I shrugged.

"So I'll expect you again in another few days?" he asked, wiping the excess potion on a towel he'd grabbed.

"Yeah, something like that. As far as I can tell Eric won't be as vigorously tough as his counterpart Norman was," I said. We parted and I headed out to Verdanturf once more. I bypassed the tiny town in a breeze and hiked my way through the Tunnel with ease – I was glad for the flat surface of Rusturf otherwise I would have had a time of it trying to navigate my way with a hurt arm. I made it to Rustboro at about five till six and yawned at the long day I'd had.

Knocking on the front door of the Rock Gym I eased my way in, wary of any wayward children who might try to question me eternally, as children liked to do. Thankfully, the school Stephanie hosted by day was apparently let out and I didn't see anyone in the arena area of the building. Unfortunately, that's the only part of the building that I knew and my fiery haired friend wasn't in it.

"Hullo?" I called out; my voice echoed hollowly against the boulders that littered the floor and it gave me the creeps. "I feel like I'm in some b-rated horror film."

"Boo!" a voice in my ear shouted.

"Whaa!" I shouted, spinning quickly and my breath coming in quick gasps. I focused my widened eyes on my attacker, a giggling Stephanie.

"Ahaha!" she sniggered. "You should have seen your face."

"Not. Funny," I growled, blushing in embarrassment.

"You only say that because it happened to you. Besides," she waggled a finger at me, "you practically dared me to do it with that horror film comment. Protagonists shouldn't ever say things like that, they tend to happen."

"Oh, and what makes you think _I_'m the protagonist?" I queried, brow arched.

"The fact that you took the main character spot of the game, for one," she listed. "Two, because you fought not only the Hoenn Teams but also a deranged Gym Leader – "

"How'd you hear about that?" I asked, confused.

"Huh? Oh. The League sent out a mass mail to the Leaders telling us to be on the lookout for strangers who might attack us and take our place," she said.

"Wow, word really does travel fast in this place."

"Yeah, but it kind of worries me, you know?" she said, biting her lip. She looked around and grabbed my good hand before pulling me to a far door and into an office. "Let's talk in here, less ears."

"And here I thought I was paranoid," I sighed. "This is because you think they might figure out about your false Leadership, isn't it?"

"Of course!" she shouted, spinning on me. Her eyes were wide and full of fear. "What if they find out about all of us? What then? What will they do to us?"

"Calm down, calm down," I put a hand on her shoulder. "We have to be here for a reason, right? You've done nothing wrong. Someone threw you into this situation and now you're just making the best of it."

She sniffled. "That's number three, you know?"

"What is?" I asked, confused.

"Reason three why you're the protagonist: you always say just the right thing," she smiled at me.

"Oh, please. I called that Gym Leader a deranged bitch and slapped her," I rolled my eyes. "How on earth is that the right thing to say?"

"Not sure yet, but I'll figure it out."

"You're really good at rationalizing you know that?" I told her.

"Duh," she giggled again.

After that it was another catch-up game on my life for the last few weeks. She took it all in without comment as she sat behind a cushy looking desk and just let me talk. I told her about Morgan, first and foremost, and then about our match – she made the appropriately sympathetic sounds in response. I skipped out on the week of grieving I'd done and briefly explained that the Teams hadn't been where they were supposed to be up at Meteor Falls and then I went on to explain my match against them. The last leg of my explanation contained my battle with the Flannery-imposter and my talk with Stone and my encounter with Mirage Tower. Over all, I believe I did a fairly good summation of my rather hectic life.

"Wow, this life's rougher than any of us could have ever guessed," Stephanie thought aloud. I nodded in agreement.

"You're preaching to the choir, Steph," I told her.

"I _teach_ not _preach_," she stressed. She stood and motioned me with a hand to follow her to yet another back room; I was surprised, though. It wasn't just another office or perhaps a training area, but a rather nicely furnished living space. A large living room was sunken in slightly and on the far wall, over a cat walk like hallway that overlooked the living room, was another door. "It's late, you can stay here. That couch may look horrible but it's the most comfortable thing I've ever sat on."

"Cool," I chirped, heading over to the couch and bouncing on it.

"What, you're not going to argue that it would be 'wrong' and how you'd be 'intruding' or something?" she tilted her head at me.

"Uh, no." I gave her a weird look. "Why in the three worlds would I do that? This place beats a hard cot in the Pokémon Center anyday."

"Oh. Well, you know the protagonist thing we were talking about earlier?" I nodded. "Usually they're all chipper and humble and deny any sort of help or kindness from anyone – like an invite to spend the night on the couch."

"You obviously don't know me well enough," I rolled my eyes. "I am not one to turn down a free _anything_ let alone something that will help me with my bum arm." I shook the appendage to emphasize the point and winced at my stupidity when my arm throbbed. "Told ya I wasn't a protagonist."

"Just because you don't fit that criteria doesn't mean you aren't the hero of this story," she laughed lightly. "One bad apple doesn't make the whole bunch rotten, you know."

"Whatever. Good _night_," I shooed her, a most ungraceful guest. She laughed at me again and went to her room as I toed off my shoes, unclasped my belt, and pulled off my glasses. Faintly, as I fell asleep looking at my pile of belongings, I realized I must have left my bag in her office. This was the last (somewhat superfluous) thought in my head before I drifted off to yet another exhausted sleep.

* * *

The next day was a flurry of activity, to my surprise.

"Up, up, up!" Stephanie shouted at me, pulling at the blanket I'd used last night.

"Nng," I moaned, wrapping myself tighter in the cover.

"Lucy, get up _now_. Or no breakfast for you," she told me. I could almost hear her put her hands on her hips and see the glare on her face. I pulled down the blanket from above my head and scowled at her.

"Fine, fine," I grumbled, getting up. I slid on my glasses before I caught a glance in the mirror across the room; I grimaced – I looked like a mess. My short black hair had grown down passed my ears in the past few weeks and as such stuck up more than it used to. Making me, at the moment, look as if I'd been messing around with an electrical outlet. Seeing my frown, Stephanie turned and laughed at me. "Not nice!" I told her, standing up.

"You look ridiculous," she snorted at me. "When was the last time you bathed, anyway?"

I blinked. "Um…"

"You don't remember?" she curled her lips at me in disgust. I couldn't argue with her there. "Go!" she shoved me towards a door I hadn't seen earlier. "Bathe! I'll go throw your things in the wash and bring you something to wear when you're done."

"Yes, Mommy," I rolled my eyes at her but I didn't bother to hide my pleasure at the thought of a nice, hot bath. No shower for me! _Yessss_, I hissed in my head, pleased. It would be nice to rest my weary body for a little bit more and a new set of clothes wouldn't hurt either.

"Do as you're told and maybe you'll get a treat later, Little Girl," Stephanie teased, playing along. I knew I liked her for a reason.

The last thing I hear before I closed the bathroom door was a giggling laugh of amusement from my rock trainer friend. At first, I had a little trouble trying to get the sling off of my shoulder without hurting myself, but I eventually worked it out and pulled off the rest of my clothes soon after. As I sat and scrubbed my filthy appendages I relaxed back into the deep tub. _Being a Gym Leader has its perks,_ I thought. _I missed this_. And it was true. I missed the simple commodities that I didn't get as a trainer – hot meals and hot baths instead of sandwiches and shower, clean clothes that didn't smell like soot or dirt, a friend who I knew would look out for me. It was nice. I pushed the longing feeling of wanting to be _normal_ away. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on what ifs – and besides, I wouldn't give up my new life as a trainer for anything. _Where would I be without them?_

About a half an hour later Stephanie knocked on the door and slide a hand through the crack to lay a pile of clothes on the counter. Already clean, and thoroughly jelly-like from the warm soothing effects of the tub, I got out, dried, and dressed. Looking down at myself, I was glad that she hadn't stuck me with one of the blue and red dresses she wore as her professor/Gym Leader outfit. Instead, she gave me a pair of long, red cargo pants and a black shirt that looked a helluva lot like my tank tops. I left the sling off, though, since the heat of the water had soothed the ache by miles. After I dressed, I left the bathroom and went looking for Stephanie. I found her in the little off-set kitchen around the corner from the living room, reading a newspaper and sipping coffee.

"Why, aren't we domestic, Mommy?" I quirked a brow at her as I grabbed a plate and spooned some of the eggs she'd made onto my plate before snagging a piece of toast. I poured myself a cup of coffee as well and topped hers off. "So," I said between bites. "What's with all the red and black, anyway?"

"What do you mean?" she looked over her paper at me.

"Well," I started. "When I first started I had a red and black jacket with black riding shorts. Then, when I went to buy my clothes from the vendor in Slateport, most of their clothes were either red or black (or something horridly neon) so that's what I got. I assumed at the time they were Hoenn colors, but now that I think about it, none of the Gym Leaders really have a color scheme." I furrowed my brow at her.

"You were right the first time," she shook her head. "Red and black _are_ the colors of Hoenn. It's just that the Gym Leaders don't all originate from here and they'd rather not disrespect their own region buy wearing separate colors, so we have no set dress code, and which is why you generally only see the trainers wearing them."

"Ah," I nodded. "Gotcha."

We spent the rest of the morning going over what her life had been – though her story didn't contain nearly as much excitement as mine did, she seemed to enjoy it. She evidently _had_ taken up my suggestion and took her class to a contest over in Verdanturf. Which had sprung up the debate of cute Pokémon versus competitive Pokémon – not only within her class, but with us too.

"My Geo is plenty adorable!" Stephanie argued.

"Your Geo is plenty _tough_," I emphasized, shaking my head. We'd been at it for fifteen minutes already. "But he couldn't win a beauty contest."

She huffed at me and slouched back in her seat. Then, she brightened up and sent me a smile that gave me the shivers. "Let's put it to a test, eh?"

"How…?" I asked, not really sure I _wanted_ to know.

"C'mon," she tugged at my hand. She dragged me towards the arena doors and over to the bleachers that were steadily filling up with children ages five to what appeared to be twelve. "Hey there, students," she called to them.

"Hi Miss Roxanne!" they chorused back. I blinked.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot they don't know your real name," I muttered to her.

She shrugged. "You get used to it; besides, I think I like Roxanne better than Stephanie." She turned back to her eagerly awaiting students. "You all remember what we did last week, don't you?"

"The Contest Hall!" a few shouted up as others grinned and giggled.

"Yep, that's right," she smiled at them. "And as a special treat I've decided that we should have our own little contest," she clapped.

"Yay!" was the general agreement.

"Now, I need everyone to line up. Those with Pokémon on the left side of the arena, and everyone else on the bleachers – you guys get to be the judges," she winked at them and they giggled. She was good at balancing out the students so those who couldn't participate didn't feel left out. I had to admit, she was a natural at this teaching stuff. "Good, good. Everyone has a pencil and paper for judging? Nice. All right," she turned back to the students in the arena. "Call out your prettiest Pokémon, all right? And then we'll start the contest."

The room filled with voices as the entire row of kids called out their Pokémon. Many of them were common inhabitants of the nearby forest – i.e. Wurmple, Silcoon, and even a few Zigzagoon – though one girl had a Skitty, I was surprised to see. Two of the boys possessed Geodudes, a token to their favorite Gym Leader, no doubt.

"Lucy, call your Pokémon and take your spot in the line," Stephanie informed me. I sent her a curious look. "You're a part of this, too, you know. I want to see if _your_ Pokémon can compare to theirs; obviously if you have it on you right now, it's strong, so I want to see if it can be cute, too."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Fine, fine. Go, Minnow!" I called.

"Mi?" he quirked his head to the side, glancing around at all the children.

"Aww, he's so cute!" I heard one little girl squeal. I smirked. _Done deal._

Stephanie saw my smirk and frowned at me, wrinkling her nose in a way to suggest that this wouldn't be as easy as I thought it was. "Everyone, team up! Whoever's closest to you will be your partner. The first round will be a competition between partners for who can impress our judges most," Stephanie said before grouping us together. I ended up with a little boy who had a Zigzagoon; he promptly informed me his name was Kenny and his Pokémon was Koolie.

"And I don't care how cute your Minun is," he told me, crossing his arms in defiance. "We're gonna win!"

"Whatever you say, Kenny," I smiled at him. Inside I was smirking and chuckling my head at his audacity – it was really amusing.

There were three rounds before us – two girls and a boy were the victors of those (the Skitty, a Zigzagoon, and a Geodude) and then Kenny and I stood in the arena, facing the crowd.

"Next up, Kenny and his Zigzagoon, Koolie," Steph announced, raising an arm into the air on Kenny's side. The kids cheered for their peer. "And Lucy with her Minun, Minnow!" There was a smattering of applause, but it was to be expected. _Of course they'd want their friend to win_, I told myself. I had to admit – it _was_ nice to see kids sticking together.

"Come on, Koolie! Tail whip to the audience," the boy ordered. His raccoon scurried over to the edge of the arena and wiggled its bushy tail cutely at the kids. A few laughed and some cooed; it _was_ a pretty disarming move, but I guess that's why it was so effective in battle. Kenny turned to me and smirked. "Top that, teenager." I blinked at him.

"Little runt," I half-laughed. "All right, Minnow, Charm," I smirked. _I knew that move would come in handy someday._

"Minun, Mi-Mi," Minnow sang as he darted around in front of the crowd, stopping and giving them his cute face every few turns. He practically glowed with his charisma.

"Cuuuuute!" many of the girls shrieked enthusiastically. I mentally cackled and physically stuck my tongue out at Steph as she sighed in defeat.

"Winner, Lucy and Minnow!" Stephanie raised an arm in my direction.

I turned to Kenny and stuck out a hand. "You did great, man," I said to him. He looked at my hand and a minute later took it.

"Yeah, you too. Hey, you-uh, you think you could teach Koolie that move?" he stuttered.

"Wish I could," I shrugged. "But he just picked it up on his own."

We parted ways then as he turned to the stands while I waited out for the next round – the Skitty won, unsurprisingly, with a Fake out, Growl combo. After those two were done, I faced off against one of the boys with a Geodude and got an easy win with Helping Hand ("Aw, look it! He's giving a hand to his opponent!" one of the students had cooed.). Finally, it was just the girl and I left.

"Ladies and germs," Steph started, making the class laugh at her silly wink, "we welcome you to the final match of our contest. But this will not be any _ordinary_ match – oh, no. For, you see, I want to show that even the most adorable of Pokémon can be battle champs! This match will be a duel between Kathy and her Skat and Lucy with her Minnow. Let the battle commence!" she called. Kathy and I got to our edges of the arena, facing each other as opponents now rather than the audience as contestants.

"Like you could ever beat me," the twelve year old flaunted, throwing her hair over her shoulder like a true mean girl. I tilted my head. _She seems familiar_… I snapped my fingers.

"Hey, you're that kid who made fun of me last time I was here!" I remembered.

"Duh," she rolled her eyes. "You may have beat Miss Roxanne but you won't beat me. Skat, Foresight!" The kitten Pokémon zoomed in on Minnow, effectively reducing my Minun's evasiveness. I narrowed my eyes.

"You're good, girl, but you won't beat me," I promised her. "Min, let's take this out in a one hit shot. Spark with Quick Attack," I ordered.

"Min-min-min," he charged, glowing bright yellow with his electricity and darting through the stadium towards the Skitty.

"No!" Kathy gasped, realizing just how fast my little mouse was in comparison to her vastly undertrained normal type. "Skat, sing! Something!"

"Skiii-iiity, skitty, skiiii-iiity, skiii," her Pokémon started. Unfortunately or our opponents, Minnow was deceptively harmless. He hit her, but only glanced the Pokémon's side instead of a head-first blow. My Pokémon was also very, very smart. He knew what kind of damage that sort of full on hit would have had and edged out just enough to win but not enough to seriously harm. After the (decidedly quick) battle was through, there was a half-crowd of applause and Minnow darted back to my side, sitting on his hind legs and looking up at me.

"You're smarter than you look, aren't you?" I quirked a brow at him.

"Minun-mi?" he tilted his head and blinked. I shook my head and chuckled, picking him up and setting him on my shoulder. It took a few minutes for the students to calm down and for Stephanie to ease them all back to their classroom. They chattered away at the performances and the final battle as my friend turned to me.

"Show off," she pouted. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"You dared me," I shrugged, grinning arrogantly. "Now, where's my prize, woman?"

She spluttered at me. "Prize? I was just trying to prove a point to you and my kids!"

"I want ice cream! No, no!" I widened my eyes, really enjoying teasing her. "A banana split!"

"Uhhh, I created a monster," she bemoaned, lowering her head in defeat. I cackled.

* * *

**A/N:** And we have reached the 50,000 word mark! Congrats all around people. Once more, I don't have a lot of comments on this chapter other than these: yes, this is another filler-esque chapter, but I really needed to lighten this fic up a little. Besides, I added a 'contest' and another battle, so that's good, right? ... right? Anyway. Comment two: **If you caught the Yu Yu Hakusho reference you get a cookie - and a spot as the next OC I throw in here.** Ooh, yes, bloody nice prize, no? If no one guesses... well then I guess my imagination's going to have to figure something out.

Reviewers - again from last chapter and the one before, because I forgot: **Steel Turnabout x2, IcyFeather12, Soulful Plain Strider, Ie-Maru, ChaoticxxHearts x2, Hironada x2, Dodectron x2, I have a dictionary here, Sahxyel, **and** Waflicka.**


	14. Thirteenth Theories

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Thirteen:**

"Hullo?" I called as I entered the Normal type gym.

I'd spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon getting from Rustboro down to Petalburg. _Poor Stephie_, I thought as I remembered the mayhem her students had caused. Somehow or another they'd convinced her to buy the lot of them ice cream, too, and the consequences were rather extravagant.

Let's just say that 'dancing on the ceiling' has a more literal context then it used to.

I shook myself out of my thoughts and concentrated on the gym I'd entered. I looked around the dark paneled entrance room and was surprised that not a soul was in sight. Spotting a door on the far wall I walked over and read the inscription. '_Speed Room_.' I shrugged; maybe this Gym was more like the game version than the others had been? I pushed the heavy wooden door open and slipped inside the room. It was like a smaller version of the entrance room, what with the dark paneling and wood floor. Only in this room there was a trainer about my age and, strangely enough, posing in front of a mirror.

"Eh, hello?" I called over to him. He turned to me, one hand still on his jaw, and quirked a brow at me.

"Hi! I am Cool Trainer Randall. Here for the Gym Leader?" the dark haired teen asked. I nodded hesitantly; this guy was sort of freaking me out.

"Yeah, I am, where's his room?" I decided to play along with the plot line at this point. The experience would do me – and my Pokémon – some good.

"You have to beat the trainers of the Gym before you get to face off against the great Norman," he informed me, a pompous tone lacing his words. _As if you could be us, let alone him!_ They taunted me. My eye twitched and a pulled my mouth into a frown. "Take your stance and we shall begin!" I got into the visitors box of the small arena and stood, waiting. "This is the speed room where my Pokémon is too fast to touch! Go, Swellow!" A large blue bird appeared, cawing from its red feathered throat. It was just as proud as its trainer and I rolled my eyes.

"Takes after the owner," I muttered to myself. I ignored the fact that my own Pokémon were… unique (i.e. oddballs) in their own ways. "C'mon out, Minnow." An electric would do well against the flying type and besides, Minnow was just as speedy as the bird and had better evasiveness because of his small stature.

"Double team, Swellow!" my opponent called. The avian darted through the air quickly as it took flight, zipping around the arena. I was glad to see that Minnow kept his beady eyes trained on the bird easily.

"Quick attack," I ordered. As soon as he came upon the startled bird I shouted another command. "Spark!"

"Minun!" Minnow growled before letting loose a pulse of electricity at the other Pokémon.

"Swe!" it cawed in pain, taking a dive towards the ground. It didn't right itself mid-air as I expected, though, and instead hit the ground with a hard thump. It tried to move its wings and reposition itself (it was beak-down on the ground, not a comfortable place to be) but there was no use; it was paralyzed.

"Damn," Randall cursed before sighing. "Return, Swellow." He tossed his head full of green hair towards the door to his right. "The next trainer specializes in one hit KOs, so be prepared," he informed me. I blinked at the curtsey.

"Thanks," I told him before returning Minnow to his ball and going through the second doorway. The room on the other side was exactly like its predecessor, except for the fact that there was a girl with green hair instead of the boy. "Hullo."

"Hm? Oh, hi." She waved at me, smiling cheerily. "You must be here for Norman. Gotta get through me, though!" she chirped.

_What is with these trainers?_ I questioned myself. Their personalities were… odd. I shrugged it off and she threw out her Pokéball.

"Do it, Zangoose!" The cat-ferret hybrid snarled as it was released, a sharp contrast to its trainer's bubbly personality. I narrowed my eyes in thought as I tried to figure out which of my team would go best against the powerful normal type. _Normal type…_ I smirked and palmed my single navy colored container.

"Let's show them, Gabriel!" I called as my little ghost type appeared. _Ghost types are immune to physical attacks_, I had remembered, glad to be using my little trickster for the first time in a long while.

"_Shit_," the girl blinked, gnawing on her lip in thought. "Sword dance, Zanger." The Pokémon followed her orders, throwing out sharp slashes through the air around it, leaving trails of energy in its wake as it amped up.

"Hit it with an astonish, Gabe, I don't want to give them the heads up," I told my Pokémon. Gabriel obeyed, layering the room in darkness before scaring our opponent into flinching. The Sword dance was cut off abruptly and I saw a chance for a hit. "Night Shade, Gabe!"

"Saaa," he hissed, thrusting his arms out and throwing a beam of darkness at the Zangoose. It wasn't terribly effective, but it did enough damage to weigh the Pokémon down and cause my opposing trainer to start fidgeting nervously. At this point, I was feeling really confident and knew that we'd get through this quickly.

"Spam Night Shade, Gabriel, and we'll be through this quickly," I told him. My ghost followed my orders, throwing attack after attack at the defenseless normal type. Five minutes later, and plenty of failed attempts at hitting my Gabe, the Pokémon went down.

"All right, all right," the girl grumbled. She hitched a thumb over her shoulder and said in a defeated tone, "Norman's in there. You'll win, for sure, with that ghost of yours. Don't get cocky, though!" she warned me as I took a step to the door. "Norman's a clever Leader!"

"Yeah, okay, thanks," I told her before darting around and heading to the door.

To be honest, I was sort of wondering how Eric's life had been going so far. I had to wonder just how good of an actor he was to pull off being Norman. Did anyway even realize there was a difference between him and the supposed old Gym Leader? My thoughts were mild as I entered the Leader Arena room (the sign on the door told me) and searched out the first friend I'd made in this world.

"Lucy?" a deep voice from my left called. I turned and saw the somewhat familiar form of Eric in yet another doorway. Behind him I glance what may or may not be an office before he shuts the door and walks over to me. "Here for the gym battle, I assume." I nodded. "Ah. It's been a while, how 'bout we talk about everything over lunch first?" Again, I nod, already used to the fact that almost every time I meet a Gym Leader I have some sort of meal with them. _Seems like a bad plot filler to me_, I think as we head to his back office.

We talked for about an hour, each eating plates of leftover pasta – the only meal I'd had in weeks that wasn't a sandwich or cereal – and drinking ice cool glasses of tea. I reiterated the same story I'd been telling for a while now; there wasn't much variation between what I'd told Eric and the words I spoke to Stephanie and Morgan. Eric surprised me, though, with his own theories on the matter. I suppose it was the analytical, conceptual side of him that sparked it.

"What about the God Pokémon?" he queried after a long pause. I tilted my head at him, still merely vaguely recalling the tales of Arceus. I hadn't been a big fan of the later movies and as such wasn't well versed in their dynamics. I voiced my thoughts and he shook his head. "Arceus is the God Pokémon, of course, but there are others – the legendaries."

"You mean like Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Mew?" I asked as I swallowed down a bite of penne.

"Exactly, only there are more."

I shrugged. "Well, yeah, there are tons of them – the Bird Trio from Kanto, the Dogs of Johto, the Siblings of Hoenn."

"You're forgetting the newest, not to mention ones like Celebi who can manipulate time," Eric informed me. "Since you don't know Sinnoh well or the movies, I'll tell you of them. In the same movie that Arceus appeared there were two more legendaries – Dialga and Palkia. The movie, _Arceus and the Jewel of Life,_ reveals that a previous battle – from a previous movie – had happened because the two dimensional Pokémon had come into contact with each other." He paused to stare into my eyes, making me feel like this was the main bit of his theory. "The two are never to come in contact with one another – it causes mayhem and disarray in the worlds."

"You think that they have something to do with us?" I asked, furrowing my brows, lunch long forgotten.

He nodded. "Yes. This world is just as real as ours and who's to say that it's not just another dimension? Perhaps the worlds clashed and somehow we ended up here, in this situation," he motioned, arm moving with his words. I could tell that he'd put a lot of thought behind this and felt ashamed that I hadn't spent more time on trying to figure it out. I was too content with this life – I _should_ have been trying to get them all back.

"But if that's true," I started, "Then how are we supposed to do anything about it? We aren't cartoon characters – things won't just fall into our laps like they do in the movies," I threw my hands into the air, patience wearing thin. My elder counterpart, in his infinite sanity, stayed calm.

"We will find a way or we will adapt," he said simply. "This world isn't so bad – there are worse places to be," he added, a faraway look in his eyes. "Besides, you said you would prefer it here, didn't you?

"Yeah, that's true, but I'm not like you," I shook my head. "You've probably got a whole life that you've worked for – a job, family, friends."

"Yes, I have a family," he admitted. A soft smile lit his face, making it more handsome than his average appearances let on. "I have a wife and two daughters – Natalie and Amy. They'll be turning one soon," he told me, adoration and pride clear in his voice and on his face. "But," he coughed as his voice stuck. "But I would prefer to know that they are safe and well rather than risking the fates of both worlds and as such their lives. They can live without me if need be and as much as it pains me to say it, I can live without them."

We stayed quiet for a while after that, each having abandoned our lunch in favor of the thoughts running through our heads. His were, undoubtedly, on his family and mine were similar. Eric and I had a paralleled line of thought when it came to our families but whereas I would choose to stay here for my own selfish reasons, he did it for the sake of his family's safety. _See, Steph_, I thought grimly, _I am no hero._ Weren't heroes supposed to do things for the good of all – to never be selfish in the face of even the worst? My mind flashed back to a quote from my favorite graphic novel:

"_Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel."_

_That's the difference between us_, I thought as I looked at Eric.

After a few moments of contemplation – and a few more to clean up the mess from our meal – the Not-Norman and I headed back to the Leader's Arena room for our battle. Before we started Eric looked over at me, thumbing a Pokéball with a smirk on his face. "I'm warning you, Lucy, I've gotten good."

I tossed him my own devious smile. "What and you think I've just been running around Hoenn for the sake of my calves?" I asked him sarcastically.

"All right, let's start. Go, Vigoroth!" he called, tossing out the ape Pokémon. I smirked, thinking back to my previous battle.

"Do it, my little Gabriel," I purred triumphantly – too cocky for my own good, really.

"Saaa," he hissed at the ape. I could see Eric debating with himself about what to. To my surprise – and slight worry – he smiled.

"Vigoroth," he said, "Faint Attack."

I blanched. I'd forgotten that normal types could learn special moves like that – and that Norman's Pokémon had a few dark type attacks up their sleeves.

"Gabe, astonish!" I commanded, desperate to stop the attack as soon as possible. Gabriel tried to startle the Vigoroth but it failed and the Faint Attack hit.

"Saabe," he whined, curling in on himself from the damage. I pulled out his Great Ball and returned him; I bit my lip as I eyed my opponents.

"You're right, you have gotten good," I admitted to Eric. He smiled that same, pleasantly content smile and waited for me to choose my next Pokémon. I ran my fingers over my belt, unsure, before plucking out Vexyl's Pokéball.

"Let's end this quick, okay, Vex?" I told my Combusken as he appeared. He nodded his head and took a fighting stance in the ring, ready and waiting to beat the crap out of the ape.

"Vigoroth, Slash!" Eric ordered.

"Double Kick," I told my Pokémon.

"Vigo-roooth," the normal type roared as he threw a sharp fist at Vex. My fire type darted towards it, racing across the gym floor; he kicked out a leg, taking damage from the slash attack, and spun around to hit the Vigoroth with his other leg. The attack was dead on.

"Another while you're at close range!" I told him. Vexyl obeyed and the ape went down. I was insanely glad that fighting type attacks worked well against normal types – another fact I hadn't remembered until we started fighting. _I really need to revamp my memory on type advantages_, I thought as Eric recalled his Pokémon. I called Vexyl to stand near me in case I wanted a different Pokémon to take on whatever Eric called out; it wouldn't do well to have my starter worn out too soon.

"I call Linoone," the Gym Leader informed me as a bright light formed into the shape of the weasel/badger Pokémon.

"Nonna," I released the mule. "Magnitude!"

"Belly Drum, then Headbutt," Eric commanded.

Nonna was slowly trying to stomp through the wooden floor; as she did this the Linoone flopped onto its back and banged its paws against its stomach to increase its attack ratio. Just as Nonna broke through the wood our opponent darted onto its feet and towards us. It raked a sharp paw across Nonna's nose which sent her roaring. With her aggression, she let loose a high powered Magnitude. I tumbled to the floor as the shockwave shook the floor. I saw Eric maintain his footing, though barely, and his Pokémon was sent scuttling across the now damaged ground – KO'd by my angry mule. Unfortunately, the slash attack had done more than sufficient damage and my Numel and she leant forwards to rest on her knees, tired.

"Return, Nonna," I gripped the ball as she shot back into it. Whispering words of pride and appreciation, I tucked it back into its appropriate spot. I jerked my head over at Vexyl and he took his place in the ring. Eric had called his Slaking and I felt it fitting that his toughest and mine should face off against each other.

"Yawn, Slaking!" Eric ordered. The giant ape released a guttural sounding breathe and I could see Vex sway on his feet. I mentally cursed, knowing he only had one good attack in him before he dropped, dead asleep.

"Double kick!" he flashed across the floor, pounced the ape – unfortunately it didn't do as much damage as I had hoped – and ran back to our side of the battle grounds. Just as he stilled and turned to face our opponents once more, Vexyl's eyes drooped and he fell asleep. "Dammit, Vex, wake up!" I shouted at him, but it was useless. His shoulders raised and fell with his breathing, even, and it occurred to me that this was the first time I'd ever seen him in such a vulnerable position.

"We'll have to wait a moment, Slaking isn't the most enthusiastic of Pokémon," Eric told me, face as calm as ever. I was tempted to stick my tongue out at him. Actually, no, I did stick my tongue out at him; unfortunately all he did was chuckle. Is it even possible to ruffle this man?

"Urg," I groaned, unsure of what to do. _What cures sleep? Awakenings – no, don't have any; that blue flute thing… don't have one of those either. Ehh. What else? What else? Oh!_ My eyes widened in realization and I rummaged through my pack as quickly as possible. I pulled a chesto berry from a small pocket and turned to feed it to Vex, but I wasn't fast enough.

"Counter, Slaking," Eric called to his Pokémon. The beast moved, faster than I would have expected, and slammed its large hands across my Combusken's midsection. He was thrown across the rink as the ape went back to its previous position. I ran toward my fallen Pokémon, distressed and worried; I kneeled next to his (still sleeping) form and forced his sharp beak open before stuffing the blue berry into his mouth. As it worked its magic and his fierce eyes opened. We stood, him wobbling slightly, and I went back to the visitors box.

"Double kick while he's still down," I ordered. Vexyl followed the command promptly and the ape didn't even raise a palm to stop him. It hit, bringing the ape down to a low HP, but before Vex could make his way back to me Eric ordered a Façade. Slaking rapidly hit my starter, weakening him and tossing him to the ground once more. "Vexyl, return!" I ordered, beyond worried. My hands shook; I'd never seen him take a beating so badly. I chewed on my bottom lip, indecisive. _Who, who, who? _"All right, Jesus, let's finish this." I hesitantly called out my little green ballerina. "Use Psychic to finish him off while he's still tired."

"Kir," she agreed before thrusting her arms out. The air in front of her displaced itself, molding around her energy and forcing itself at the ape. The beast grunted in pain as it was knocked out and Eric recalled his final Pokémon. I smiled in relief, glad the match was over and my Pokémon all made it out alive. "Good job, Jesus," I complimented her. She blushed in her own way and I returned her to her Pokéball. Eric walked over to me and handed over the Balance Badge.

"You did remarkably well," he told me.

"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself for someone who just designs the game," I smirked slightly. He shrugged, smiling.

"Well, I've had about a month and a half to prepare for you – more than enough time to acquaint myself with the semantics of Pokémon training," he reminded me.

We shared a few more minutes of talking, but the bulk of the important conversation was over with and I made quick time of high tailing it to the Pokémon center. On the way I ran into a green haired man by accident; at first, I had thought he might have possibly been the father of those supposed Cool Trainers inside the gym. After a moment – and his introduction – I realized who he was.

"Oh, hello there, didn't see you!" he greeted me. We'd literally bumped into each other, after all.

"Erm, hi." We didn't say anything for a moment, standing in awkward silence, but then I introduced myself. "I'm Lucy, Mr…?"

"Just call me Willard," he said jovially. He took a long, disconcerting look at me before he smacked his fist into palm. "I know you! You're the young lady who helped my son, Wally!"

"Oh!" I blinked. "You're Wally's dad?" _Way to state the obvious, Lucy_. I rolled my eyes at myself.

"Oh, yes! His mother and I are so grateful for everything you did for him, you know."

"Well, I didn't really do anything…" I shook my head, palms out in denial. I really hadn't, after all; hell, I didn't even pay attention during that bit of my journey.

"Nonsense!" the man insisted. He pulled a disk from his pocket and I tried not to think about just how he hid it. "Here, take this," he thrust it into my open palm, "it's the HM for Surf, I'm sure you'll find some use for it!"

"Thanks," I said, brightening up. "My Gyarados could really use this." I beamed at him and we went our separate ways.

I headed to the Pokémon Center and healed my little beasts. I popped the HM disk into the computer before realizing that I couldn't let loose Copper in the building; no doubt she'd destroy the place the moment she was let out, too big for confinement. A little while later, after maneuvering the screen to the far window and releasing Copper outside, my Gyarados had her face practically smashed up against the window as she peered intently at the video. After the tape ended, I led Cop over to the small pond in town and we tested out her newfound ability.

Climbing on her back was awkward, but I could wedge myself between the back scales and fit snugly just behind her head. When I was secure enough, I ordered her to use the move and water rushed around us as she slithered through the lake. It was thrilling, riding this great beast – much better than that damned boat. So far I wasn't sea sick and I had a feeling that this would make my life so much easier once I had to travel to the island cities.

* * *

**A/N:** I am _so_ sorry for the wait, my dearest readers! Honestly didn't mean to put it off this long. Want to know the reasons? Well, firstly, I got 2, 9 week old kittens that are reaking havoc in my household. You won't believe the number of new cuts I have on my arms from their vicious little claws. Cute, though. Very cute. Both white with tawny markings - I named mine Ephriam and my family named the 'family cat' Tiger. Unoriginal, no? I tried to protest but to no avail. Anyway, the other reason is because I am in a Photography class and it's been crazy trying to shoot four rolls of 36-reel film. Yes, that is a _manual camera_. No digital for this class. Ugh. Anyway, if you happened to want to see the good prints made from my photo frenzy, go check out my Deviant Art page. The link is in my profile.

Also: took me two tries to get this chapter out; I wrote the first few paragraphs and couldn't even understand what the hell it was that I wrote so I just rewrote it. What do you guys think? And I included three battles because, really, you all deserve it. :D

Thirdly: no one guessed the clue I left last chapter, but I really can't blame you, it was a shitty one. Anyway, there's is a blaringly obvious line in this chapter - _"__Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel."_ - that is, in fact, from a graphic novel-come-movie. If you tell me the movie/GN and the one who said the line, then you will be the winner of the next OC! Easy, no? First who claims it, gets it. I wish you the best of look.

Thanks to my reviewers (and if you're still there...): **hironada, Icyfeather12, Steel Turnabout, Chaoticxxhearts, Soulful Plain Strider, i have a dictionary here,** and **HappyHereford.**


	15. Fourteenth Forays

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Fourteen**

I ventured out to Route 102 the next day; I'd spent the previous afternoon fine tuning Copper's new ability endlessly. After the brief thrill of gliding through water on my beast's back, a cold lump settled into my stomach. I was worried about Vexyl. The match had been hard on him – harder than all of our previous ones, possibly even combined. At the time I dropped all of my Pokémon off I had been too attracted to the idea that Copper would finally be learning a decent water move. Now, though, all I could think about were Vex, Nonna, and Gabe. Maybe I'd pushed them too hard. Maybe I'd gotten carried away. Maybe I'd…

_They will be okay, won't they?_ A voice whispered in my head. I looked to where Jesus trailed to my knee; I'd brought her out here as soon as we'd woken up, hoping she'd find her old home a calming place while my emotions ran frantic. As I looked at her, noticing the slight downward tilt of her head, the only outward sign that she was worried, I realized that I had to be strong – for the both of us. I was a trainer, damn it, and I had to do right by my Pokémon.

"Yeah, J, they'll be okay," I lied as I rested a hand on her head. Guilt tugged at my heart as she easily accepted this and I lead her to the pond where we'd first met. We sat beside it for a few minutes and took in the peace that it offered. In the back of my mind, I promised my injured companions that I would try harder next time.

But then, I was never very good at lying to myself.

* * *

After our brief expedition to the pond, Jesus and I walked down to Littleroot. It was odd, I realized, that I hadn't spotted an infected Pokémon in quite a while. Was there a reason? Part of me hoped that perhaps the ban on catching Pokémon had been lifted. I could hope, right? A gray tufted Poochyena darted past me and my psychic type as we entered Littleroot and I could envision capturing one of the beasts. I always did like dogs.

"Hello?" I called into the laboratory. A head peeked out from behind a large, complicated looking machine.

"Lucy? It's been a while," Birch extended a hand to me and we shook. "How has your journey been treating you?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," I said, trying to push away thoughts of all the injuries we'd sustained on the way. I wasn't quite successful.

"Are you just stopping by or is there a reason you came to see me?" He asked.

"Oh, well, actually I was curious at something," I said. He nodded his head and made a 'go on' motion. "What's the status on the infected Pokémon? I haven't seen one in quite a while."

He shook his head sadly. "The Marill you sent me has been a great help, but whenever I try to take blood and investigate it something seems to mutate in the virus. It just keeps… changing."

"Do viruses usually do that?" I furrowed my brows. The only one I'd ever heard of was, well, AIDS and even then it didn't do it as soon as it exited the body. This was very strange.

"No, this is why it's so difficult to determine the underlying cause." He paused. "You say you haven't seen one? Where have you been since you last encountered one?"

"Uh," I thought. "Let's see. Last I saw was over in Rusturf tunnel, I think. After that I went down to Dewford, over to Slateport, up to Mauville, then through the mountain, up to Fallarbor, back down to Lavaridge and then… back to Petalburg." Now that I listed it all out, it did seem like a lot of land to travel through without running into an infected Pokémon.

Surprisingly, considering my concerns, Birch just nodded wisely. "That would explain it. The heat."

"The… heat?"

"Yes. You see, most viruses like to spread with the heat, do they not? But this particular disease seems to do the exact opposite of its brethren – it dies off in the heat and thrives in cold or overly damp places," he informed me. "It's not _impossible_ to see infected Pokémon in those areas, of course, just less likely."

"So I should be on the lookout when I hit Route 119, then?" I questioned. _Great, another complication in this already ridiculously journey. Fantastic,_ I thought sarcastically.

After getting a confirmation from Birch on the matter, I took Jesus and headed back to Petalburg. An invisible string guided me to the Pokémon center and I let myself be dragged; my veins were already thrumming with anxiety, concern, and fear.

"Nurse Joy?" I buzzed the ringer at the front desk. The pink haired, white-apron wearing RN pushed through the double doors at the back of the room. In her hands she carried an orange tray with three little Pokéballs. To my great relief they were all still a glossy red and white.

"Lucy," she smiled softly at me. "Your Pokémon are going to be _fine_. I am going to recommend a few days of rest for the Combusken, though. He's had a hard night of it," she handed me the orbs and I sent her a grateful look while I clipped them back into place.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on another battle like that for a long time," I promised. Joy straightened out her shoulders and her eyes got a hard edge to them.

"You need to be more careful," she told me. "You won't always be so lucky in _any_ battle – Gym Leader or not. And you won't always have a Pokémon Center nearby, either," she chided. I cringed back slightly, the truth of it ringing through my ears and shooting daggers at my heart. Her voice and face lost their sharpness as she looked on me. "Just… take better care, all right?"

"I will," I vowed. "I won't be taking them for granted anymore."

She nodded and turned away to leave me to my thoughts. She was more right than she'd ever know.

* * *

I stayed in the general vicinity of Petalburg for the rest of the afternoon, content to spend a little quality time with my recouped Pokémon. It had been two awful, long days and the future seemed even longer.

"All right, Cop, we've practiced this so there's no need to be nervous, okay?" I patted my Gyarados' fin and hopped on her head. I settled myself just behind the scales that protruded and gripped them tightly. I whistled sharply, "Surf, Copper," and she took to the water off Route 103.

It was only a short surf to Route 110. On the way I encountered a fairly week Tentacruel and I accidentally killed it with a quick attack from Minnow. It wasn't a big loss and I shrugged it off. At least, for the next five minutes; after that I found a damn powerful Pelipper and it was my regret to knock it out. But with Birch's words still ringing in my head, I did so anyway and ended my little water ride. As I grumbled faintly about my poor luck (conveniently forgetting the fact that both Jesus and Gabriel were both quite rare), a strange buzzing from one of the pockets in my pants started up. I quickly returned Copper to her ball and unhooked the button-loop latch and tugged out my PokéNav, flipping it open and accepting the call.

"Eric?" I greeted. "Anything wrong?"

"No, nothing wrong, per sa," he denied and I could imagine him shaking his head. "But there is someone I'd like you to meet; someone I believe you _should_ meet."

I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Oh, and who is this mysterious person?" I'd quite had enough with surprises.

"Don't give me that tone," he seemed to growl at me and my eyes widened.

"Sorry," I squeaked out; for a moment I felt like I had been reprimanded by my own father and that brought me just that much closer to Eric. He hmm'd at me.

"At any rate," he said, "I just battled a trainer – quite a young one, in fact – and made a surprising discovery." He paused. I didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue.

When he didn't, I said, "What, that children are like little adults with thoughts, feelings, and everything?"

"No need to get sarcastic," he told me but behind his words I could hear vague amusement. "No, you see this trainer is one of us."

"Wait, when you say us you mean – "

"One of the Real Worlders, yes," he agreed.

"And _he_ found _you_?" I asked, confused.

"Indeed."

"That's weird, all of the Real World people have been Gym Leaders, save for me, so far," I said, furrowing my brows in thought.

"I know, which is why I sent him after you. You crossed the Route 103 waterway, didn't you?"

"Yeah," I agreed. I leaned up against one of the trees in the alcove I'd secluded myself in, a fair distance away from the people I could see on the rest of the Route, before sliding down to sit on the earthen floor. "I'll just sit here, then. You have his number?"

"No, I don't, actually. Didn't think to ask him for it," he admitted sheepishly. I rolled my eyes.

"All right, well… I'll just… sit here," I repeated. We exchanged goodbyes and hung up. I released Vex from his ball and he cawed, pawing at the ground. _Better safe than sorry_, I thought as I waited for whatever new surprise was coming my way.

It turned out that I didn't have to wait long for this mystery boy to arrive. Fifteen minutes into my bored observation of my surroundings - mostly at Vex who seemed to be training himself back into shape, if his attacks on the trees were any guess - he dropped anchor a few feet into shore. A large, metal-plated Pokémon rose from the water and I had to wonder just how on earth that thing could learn swim. _HMs are tricky things_, I thought to myself as he looked around.

The first thing I noticed was that his hair was a brilliant white. The second thing I noticed was his height; it took me a minute to place the fact that he must've been about ten years old or so because of my place on the ground, but after that I had to marvel at his age. What was someone so young doing in such a harsh world such as this? It seemed wrong, somehow, to plunk him down amidst all the chaos.

Shaking my head, I stood, brushed the dirt off my pants, and waited for him to reach me. As he approached I realized that his hair wasn't the glowing snow-white I thought it to be, but instead it was some sort of white-brown mixture. Vaguely I wondered if Crayola had a color for that and decided, for the moment, it didn't matter. His eyes, a similar shade of brown as his hair, were trained on me as he approached. He paused as he reached me and we both stopped to think about what we were going to say. I mean, really, what do you say to a ten year old whose world before now probably consisted of video games, his mom, and PB&J sandwiches? The kid turned a smile on Vex before holding a hand out to me.

"Hello," he said, voice slightly shaky, "My name is Tiran, but call me Tir."

I gave him a (hopefully) reassuring smile and grasped his hand in my own, shaking it. "I'm Lucy," I told him before breaking away my hand. "You must be the one Eric warned me about then?"

To my surprise, he frowned, seriously considering my teasing words. Following his frown, he sighed and looked – glared? It was hard to tell at this angle – at the ground.

"I guess," he said. Tir looked over at my Combusken once more, some form of recognition in his eyes, and I had to wonder if he got a regular starter type or if he was stuck with something like a Zigzagoon as his first. "I woke up in a house in Petalburg three weeks ago and was dragged by a man claiming to be my father to Professor Birch's lab. I got a starter," Torchic, I assumed from the look he'd given Vex, "and decided to challenge the Gyms… Oh!" he exclaimed, flinging his arms about in large gestures, "and when I say dragged, I mean literally, he was going at least twice as fast as any other person I've ever seen, and I left ruts in the grass!"

During his tirade of enthusiastic babbling, a shot of adrenaline rang through me. There, glinting merrily at his sides, were two sharp-bladed swords encased in black sheaths and wrapped in the belts at his waist. Once he'd finished speaking his small hands rested naturally on the hilts and beside me Vex growled a low, protective sound at him. My own eyes became sharper and I tensed up, ready to grab a Pokéball, shout a command at Vex, or start throwing punches. Looking at Vex with wide eyes, Tir raised his hands off his blades and made a defensive gesture.

"You proclaim you were sent here like the rest of us, right?" I said, still eyeing his weapons. "Then what the hell are you doing with _those_?" No way did any ten year old – normal, Poké-Verse, or otherwise – have a need for those; at least, no reason my mind could come up with. He looked at the swords before his eyes rested on me once more, an almost incredulous look on his face.

"They're for protection," he said, voice emotionless. "I made them from Edge's feathers, they come off sometimes, and I like to make things, like my shoulder armor," he shrugged and the light hit his flat-ish shoulder plate. "They help keep me and my Pokémon safe, I mean what kind of robber is going to attack me if I have swords." He took a few deep breaths after his longwinded explanation before a shiver ran down his back.

_Bad memories?_ I questioned myself. He seemed honest enough, at least, and I relaxed my stance.

"Sorry," I told him, giving a sheepish look and ruffling my hair. "It's just," I paused to gather my thoughts. "I'm from the… not so good part of Washington D.C. and generally when I people with weapons like that it generally means the worst," I explained, shrugging. "Well, that and you have to admit it's disconcerting to see a ten year old with twin blades across his back."

"To my sides," he corrected me; I glanced, and, sure enough, he was right. _Of course he's right, Lucy, they're his blades, after all_, I reprimanded myself. He looked down at himself with a frown before turning back to me with wide eyes. For a moment, I wondered what he was thinking; was he really that shocked I called him ten? _He's not, like, one of those thirty year olds with an aging disorder is he?_ I questioned myself irrationally. "Um... I kind of forgot I was ten here," he grinned sheepishly at me and rubbed his arm. I blinked. _Forgot?_ "In the real world I was nineteen, but I lost some, uh, years when I came over. My hair also turned white, though it regained just a faint amount of brown as I traveled. But, don't worry; feel free to treat me as ten, because I can't remember anything past that age in the real world. I feel ten."

"Oh, whoa," my eyes widened. "That must _suck_," I frowned in thought as he sat upright against a tree, sighing. "But, I don't get it," I told him as I retook my own seat on the floor. "My memories and age weren't affected like that, and nor were those of the other Gym Leaders." I ran a hand across my brow, trying (and failing) to fight off the oncoming headache. I glanced up at him. "You _have_ talked with the other gym Leaders, haven't you?"

"I only found out from Eric that you were all real world, but... You're saying that none of them were affected like me?" he said before pausing briefly. "If that's true, then there must be something different about what happened to me..."

I furrowed my brows and bit at my lip as I thought. I heard Wingull above us and watched them glide as the multitude of ideas and possible circumstances bombarded me. "Do you remember what you were doing when it happened?" I asked. "So far our circumstances have all been similar; we were playing one of the RSE games as either a ROM or a cartridge for the Game Boy. Like, I had started Sapphire just before I went to bed and saved my game after the intro finished. Next thing I know I'm here," I waved an arm to signify the World of Pokémon. "Same happened with Eric on his computer and Stephanie and Hiro on their Advances. So far, you and Morgan have been the only exceptions," I told him.

"I was playing soul silver," he said haltingly as he stared at the sky. Something in his eyes, however, told me that his mind was far from the Wingull. "Then we stopped at a game store, and I picked up Emerald. I was so excited to finally get it, that I stopped playing my DS and got my SP. When we got home, I took Ruby out of the SP, and put Emerald in... And then I can't remember..." he looked down at his hands and the older sister in my kind of wanted to hug him and tell him it would be okay. How do you go on when you know you're missing important memories of your life, thrown in a world you only ever knew threw a game? "I can't believe I remembered all that," he sounded awed.

"Damn," I said not really having words to comfort him but wanting to show that I understood somehow. "Let's try and put it all together, then, all right?" I started ticking off my fingers and leaned back into the tree. "One, we can assume that all the Gym Leaders, plus the two of us, are from the Real World. Two, _someone_ brought us here – I'm not really sure of the reasoning behind it, but I _think_ it has something to do with the Legendaries." I paused and slid my eyes over to him. "You know about Arceus, Dialga, and Palkia, right? How they manipulate time, energy, and dimensions? I think they have something to do with this."

He nodded. "So, if they did have something to do with this, do you think they brought specific people, or was it to do with certain games, and when they were started…? Maybe it was both and I got the cartridge of someone who was supposed to take the place of Brendon? It would explain the white hair."

My eyes widened at the new thought.

"That's it! That's gotta be it," my eyes shifted back and forth as I delved deeper into the ideas. "So, the Legendaries are the key, right? They must have contacted us somehow through the games. Through our stats!" I exclaimed, gesturing frantically with my hands at nothing specific. "I'd just deleted my stats with a new game, you did the same when you started yours, Eric's were still on his ROM file I'm sure and the same probably happened with the others. I got turned into May since I'd just started," I touched the bandana tied around my head, the one identifying feature left from the character I'd replaced. "And the others wear the uniforms of the Leaders they most resemble. But you… huh," I tilted my head and squinted at him. "Yeah, you must have picked up your game just after I did then, right? The next person to play it so you were chosen… but you came in too late to be Brendan since I'd already met and fought him and you got stuck into some pseudo-rival place." I sagged after my frantic rush of thoughts. "That's _gotta _be it…"

"So, I wasn't going to be here, it was the person who's spot I took," he replied sadly. I darted my eyes over to him and opened my mouth to say, no, that's not what I thought, but he started to speak again. "But I'm glad that I got to come here. It's the best thing that ever happened to me!" he proclaimed passionately. He paused. "What do you think happened to the people we replaced, though? If we took their spots, did they take ours, or are they just gone?" The blood drained from his place and I could feel mine doing something similar.

Shaking my head, I decided to head him off first.

"I _don't_ think that you stole someone's spot," I told him firmly. "I think that the timelines between the two worlds are different – they've got to be, right? I mean, you can beat a game in a day and a half of straight playing, but here it takes months. So that brief period of time where you _weren't_ playing was just long enough for me to start up. But then you picked up Emerald and it all began." I took a deep breath and huffed it back out again. "I'm not sure about the second part, though – about the people who's places we took." I shrugged. "It's entirely possible that they're in our world, messing around and freaking out and getting sent to asylums. It's also entirely possible that the people never truly existed until the Legendaries altered reality to let us in. And if they did _that_…" I frowned. "Well, who are we to say that they aren't allowed to? I mean, some stories say that Arceus created humans to begin with; and if that's true then how could we say it's wrong for him to change the world at his will and for the betterment, at that?"

He gave me a half smile and I could see the relief in his light brown eyes. "I like the second idea better – that they didn't exist until we were here. It makes me feel better if I didn't kick someone out of this spot for me to be here." He glanced over at Vex who had been silent and still, ready to either attack or defend. _My protective little bird_, I thought fondly. "I came the morning after you did. Professor Birch told me that he had given out the other Torchic the day before."

"Yeah," I grinned and patted the top of Vex's head. "This is Vexyl. I know he looks like a mean one, but he can be almost-fun sometimes, too," I chuckled as my Combusken cawed, affronted at my teasing. I turned my smile back on Tir. "So, since I got Vex and Brendan got his Mudkip, does that mean you were stuck with a Treeko?" I looked over at his Aggron. "Or perhaps one of the non-starters? That one looks like a beast," it snorted at me and beside me I could feel Vex twitch.

Tir smiled at his Aggron and I could see the affection in his eyes. "This is Clad, and I actually got a Torchic. Birch said that he had had two, and I got a choice between all three starters. I wouldn't have minded if I had gotten Clad here as a starter, he's one of the oldest I have, and he's just like a little kid." At that, 'Clad' nudged – nuzzled? – his trainer from where he lay on the ground and Tir draped his arm over it.

I snickered at the oxymoronic image.

"So now that we've gotten all of the serious, mind-numbing business out of the way," I started, pulling a Pokéball from my belt, "I want to see just what makes up your team. You've got to have some tough ones to have beaten Morgan, let alone Eric." I tilted my head, thinking. "Who exactly did they get to replace that crazy bitch at Lavaridge, anyway?" I asked him, curious.

"Who?" he asked, confused. "I faced some guy named Cole in Lavaridge. He had two Slugmas, and I could tell he wasn't very experienced. And," he smirked and stood, "I accept that challenge, but don't cry when you lose!"

I snickered at the bravado and pushed off the ground. Patting Vex on the head, I told my Pokémon, "You're gonna have to stay out this match, all right?" He didn't look happy about it but nodded anyway and stood a few feet back. I turned back to Tir. "Well," I started as I enlarged the Pokéball in my hand, "you lucked out at Lavaridge, I suppose. When I got there the woman who replaced Flannery turned out to be a psycho who was killing all of the Pokémon of her challengers." I looked away as the bad memories of those few days overtook me. "She-uh," I cleared my throat. "When I went to battle her, to tell her to stop and to make sure she _was_ one of us, she wouldn't stop," I trained my eyes on Vex as he stood behind me. "We had to take them out," I told Tir quietly and Vex crowed lowly.

I blinked away the sting at the back of my eyes. He gave me a sad, understanding smile.

"You did what you had to. Cole may not be experienced, but at least he cares for his Pokémon." He fumbled out from under his steel Pokémon. He bowed ridiculously at me, his swords clanking and ruining the effect. I covered my snort with a hand. "Challenger's first!"

"Why thank you, kind sir!" I curtsied. "Let's see, who to use? I'd pick Vex, but he was hurt pretty badly at the last Gym," I explained. I tapped at my chin in thought for a moment before brightening and tossing a Pokéball. "Go, Jesus! Let's show him what you've got."

"Kirr," she trilled at me, facing Tir and waiting for her opponent. I smirked; J didn't look like much, but she could pack a wallop – especially when we had a secret move up our sleeve.

* * *

**A/N:** So you guys don't... hate me, right? *cricket* Ahem... right. Sorry for the delay. Life's been hectic and I got a little stuck. Until fellow fanfic author **Nevin Slate** PM'd me saying he'd, basically, like to make a fanfic of my fanfic. Do you know how blown my mind was when I read that? Yeah, like amazingly. At any rate! His story is a companion-like piece to this and is really rather good. You should all go read it... The OC in the chapter is his, after all, and don't you want to know more?

**Red Moon - by Nevin Slate**

Oh, and by the way, this chapter is a spoiler for the future of his fic. He hasn't quite gotten there yet, but he's close so just hang in there, yeah? GO. Read it now!

**My reviewers, many a-thanks:** Nevin Slate, Imagination Domination, Sakamoto Itoe, Steel Turnabout, Spalttermusic, ChaoticxxHearts, Icyfeather12, Soulful Plain Strider, Dodectron (**our contest winner! You OC will be the next, I promise**), and Happy Hereford.


	16. Fifteenth Foundations

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Fifteen:**

"C'mon, Edge!" he called, tossing his ball and a bright light shown. "We'll pound that ballerina to the ground!"

"Skaaaar!" the Skarmory shrieked, flapping its great metal wings and stirring the dust on the ground and at us. I coughed, covering my mouth with a gloved hand before batting away the dirt. I saw J do the same and I took my "battle stance," setting my feet shoulders width apart and clenching my fists. I smirked.

"You won't be so confident in a minute," I told him. "Jesus, Shockwave!" I ordered, grateful for the TM I'd bartered for back in Mauville. _Wonder if I'll get Thunderbolt from Morgan_, I thought, remembering the side-plot from the game.

"SHIT!" he shouted, startling the errant Pokémon in the area, not to mention Jesus and myself. J paused in her energy-readying before the ball of electricity started to grow once more. By that point, though, Tir appeared to be ready. "Edge, Steel Wing! Dig a trench!"

The bird type flew high into the air before darting to the ground, glowing wings smashing a large hole into the dirt flooring and sending a wave of rich, musky-smelling earth our way. I shook my head to rid of most of the dirt before seeing that the Skarmory had followed up the soil. My eyes widened. "Inventive little bastard," I muttered to myself. I knew better than to tell J to dodge, but if she got hit, then so would the Skarmory and I could only hope that her Shockwave did more damage. "Brace yourself!"

"Kiiiii-irlia!" she emoted, flinging out the frantic ball of electricity. The white and yellow mass blew up as it hit the bird but unfortunately for us, the bird hit my psychic type.

For several long, tense moments I could see nothing but dust. From the cloud of dirt, though, Edge the Skarmory soared up high like a reborn Phoenix. I frowned; _the hit points must have been reduced_, I concluded. I worried the longer Jesus stayed in the rapidly decreasing nimbus of dirt. Was she okay?

"You okay, Edge?" I heard Tir say from across the way. He said something after that but I was distracted.

"Jesus!" I ran forward as she slowly hobbled up to me. I picked her up and cradled her to me.

"Irli, a?" she replied weakly. I petted her.

"It's okay, you're done with," I told her and she nodded and relaxed in my hold. Pulling out a second Pokéball – and a Super Potion – I tossed it. "Jesus is down," I told my opponent as Minnow appeared from his container. "I'm going with my Minun."

"Edge, come back for a rest, I want Clad to take this," I heard him call to his me. I patted my now healed Kirlia one more time and returned her. Our opposing Skarmory returned as well and Tir said to the Aggron, "Clad, you're up. Start with a Rollout!"

"My luck," I cursed before calling, "Double up a Quick Attack with a Thunderwave, Minnow!"

My mouse nodded before darting out of sight as the steel type started to roll his way. He appeared a few feet in front of the moving ball of metal and jumped, zapping the thing with a paralyzing wave of electricity. As I looked at our Pokémon – two apiece in five minutes, I realized – I decided something.

"Hey," I yelled over. "Let's keep this a three on three battle, okay? We shouldn't weaken our Pokémon so early into a Route."

He gave a glancing look at his belt before looking at me and yelling, "Sure!" Then, he grinned and commanded, "Turn to Iron Tail, Clad!" His steel type paused its roll and stood to its full height, a whopping 6'11" – almost a full foot and a half taller than me. Minnow and I stared at the beast and I almost didn't notice its tail starting to glow. As soon as it reached a full, bright white it rampaged towards our end of the field.

"Minnow!" I shouted, "Try to dodge out of the way!"

"Mi – " he leapt, but it was too late. The large, metal tail of the Aggron glanced off of Minnow and sent him flying. Luckily for me, my mouse was agile enough to hit a tree feet first and he pushed off and back towards the field. I could tell he was hurt by the limp in his forepaw but I hoped he could still battle.

"All right, Minnow, let's not let that happen again," I said to him. "Encore!" He stopped, turned his head, and blinked at me incredulously. I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, all right?" He gave me the mouse approximation of a shrug before turning his wide, cute eyes on Clad and started to clap vigorously. The Aggron's eyes glazed over and I released a smirk. As the metal type went to attack, sparks of paralysis raced up its frame. From the corner of my eye, I saw Tir hesitate at the edge of the field after rummaging through his pack and knew I had to make my move. "Spark!"

"Mi-mi-mi-mi," Minnow chanted as he raced towards our opponent. Leaping into the air, he released a sharp volt of electricity at him; the paralysis did its job and kept the beast in place, making it a head-on hit. _Thank Arceus that electricity works on Aggrons,_ I thought.

"Aaaaagraa..." Clad groaned as he toppled forward, out of energy and out for the count.

"Clad!" Tir's childish voice yelled as he ran towards his Pokémon. Sitting near its head, he whispered comforting words and fed it some sort of symptom reliever. He pulled a super potion – I assumed, from the color – from his bag and applied it to his Pokémon before returning it to its ball and facing me on stiff legs.

"He all right?" I asked, concerned. The last thing I wanted to do was severely injure a fellow trainer's Pokémon. _Must've worn it down_, I thought as I compared the battle with my little Minun and the giant Aggron.

Tiran grinned. "Yeah, he was still a little tired from our battle with Eric, and then hauling me across the water. All he needs is some rest..." He reached down to run a hand across the Pokéballs on his belt. "We gonna keep going, or will you accept a forfeit?"

Before I could respond, Vex jumped forward, excited, and our new friend grinned at his enthusiasm. I rolled my eyes.

"Pft," I scoffed, "Lucia Spalding doesn't forfeit." I couldn't hold the arrogant mask, though, and before long I was laughing. "We'll keep going if you keep going. Not – " I turned to Vex, a hand on my hip and waving a threatening finger in front of his beady, black eyes, "that Vexyl here will be helping."

"Combus – " he protested, fluffing his feathers and crossing his arms.

"Quit pouting," I told him. "Only six year old girls who didn't get that Barbie they wanted pout. Suck it up, be a…" I paused, tilted my head, and continued, "Poké-Man."

Tir burst out laughing, tears in his eyes and falling onto his bottom on the ground. "Too funny!" he gasped out and I couldn't help but laugh with him; it was infectious. Eventually, we got our laughter under control and Tir said, "I think you misunderstood. I meant, would you accept a forfeit from me?" He paused, stood up, and smiled. "When you meet the rest of my team, you'll understand, Minnow there packs a punch!"

"Yeah," I agreed, grinning. "It's funny how my smallest Pokémon are my strongest, too. Copper, for example – my Gyarados," I explained, "is my weakest and she's massive." I thought back to the first part of his dialogue and nodded. "Of course I'll accept a forfeit, though I _am_ curious to meet this team of yours."

"Thanks," he grinned, palming the balls from his belt and releasing his team. The first, a proud looking Swellow, emerged with a chirp. "This Swellow is Ket, she has to be one of the toughest Pokémon out there, because she can take anything and keep going, or at least take you down with her." The next two he released I recognized from our battle and then the last was a Gyarados, quite like my own. "You met Edge earlier, he can be a showoff at times, but is able to walk the talk. You met Clad, too, he's just a little kid." Clad grunted at this. "And this giant Gyarados is Blizzard, she is the gentlest thing ever, though." He looked at each of his Pokémon in turn before turning a sad smile on me, not quite meeting my eyes. "I'll introduce you to Volk after I meet your team."

For a brief moment, I wondered what terrible thing had happened between him and his starter – for surely Volk must have been his starter, as his others were not – but didn't question. I knew what it was like to want to keep such things to yourself and I'd give him his time to settle his internal thoughts on the matter.

"Well, obviously you've met Minnow, my Minun," I gestured to the Pokémon who'd climbed up my shoulder, "And Vex, the Combusken." Vexyl cawed loudly, like a rooster proclaiming his territory. I ignored his bravado and grabbed three more Pokéballs. "Then there's Jesus, my Kirlia, of course," I reintroduced them. "Next is Gabriel, my Sableye – "

"Saaaa," he hissed, curling closely to my left leg, where my most prominent shadow resided.

"Then Roxie, the Oddish," the blue plant hopped over to Clad and Minnow jumped down to intercept her, probably still anxious of the large Pokémon, battle won or not. Tir laughed at the spectacle. "And, finally Copper, my Gyarados."

"Gyaaaa!" she roared as she emerged from her ball. Between her and Blizzard there wasn't a lot of open air around us, though it did provide Gabe some shadow space to move around in and I suppose that was a plus.

_Did we win, Master?_ I heard Jesus ask me telepathically. I nodded to her, not quite willing to let it be known that we could psychically communicate. It was a silly thing, I knew, but a part of me wanted to keep that a secret little thing between me and my Pokémon. As I looked at my team, I furrowed my brow and frowned.

"Huh, never realized I had seven on me…" I murmured. In the games if you caught a seventh Pokémon they were automatically transferred to the PC; it made me wonder if it was still legal to carry seven battle ready Pokémon or if I was breaking yet another League-set law.

"You can carry seven?" Tiran asked before palming two Pokéballs; releasing them, he grabbed another and tossed it. "I'm here Volk."

What emerged from the container shocked and horrified me. It was a Blaziken, though a barely recognizable one. Its eyes were covered in bandages, as was its waist – the latter of which I could see blood seeping through. As Tir walked up to help his starter to the ground I noticed that the tall Pokémon was leaning to one side; looking down, I saw that his right leg ended at the knee, a jutting knob where a long, powerful leg should have been. I shuddered at the sight of such a damaged Pokémon, my innards twisting in on themselves and making me want to vomit. I held the wave of sorrow in, but just barely.

"This is Volk," the ten year old told me as he sifted through his pack for fresh bandages. "It was a trainer who was skilled with a blade. We had just beaten him and he told me that I had not had enough sadness. He attacked Volk, and when I tried to fight him with my swords, he easily overcame me." He removed the old bandages and applied the fresh ones, his tone and face expressionless, hiding whatever he was really feeling from me. "I've trained since then." Medical aid provided for his Pokémon, Tir stood only for his leg to give a painful looking spasm. His Blaziken blindly reached into the pack and snagged a jar of cream and rubbed some on the back of his Master's calf. I gasped.

"We're a pair, aren't we?" my fellow trainer asked, grinning up at me.

"Certainly unusual," I agreed, trying to keep my voice even in the face of the situation. I'm not sure if I really succeeded. I walked over and kneeled down, Vex followed me closely, as curious and horrified as I was. "Hi, Volk," I greeted the blinded Pokémon. "I'm Lucy," I hesitated in the natural motion of ruffling his feathers like I would with Vex.

"Combus, bus-busken?" Vexyl questioned me; for once, I wasn't sure what he was saying and had to shrug at him. I turned back to the younger trainer.

"What was the trainer's name?" I questioned him. "I need to do something about him – contact the Leaders, see what we can do. This is _wrong_." My smaller Pokémon gathered around us, sensing our sadness; Jesus wrapped her arms around me from behind and Vex clenched his fists, morally angry at the injustice Tir and his Volk has suffered. "Please, let me do something," I begged with my eyes.

"I don't know what they could do," he replied and I could hear the truth in his voice. "His name is Caid, but he said he was a league official. I don't know if the Leaders could get him." He leaned against his fire type and the Pokémon wrapped an uninjured arm around his small shoulders. "The only reason I ran into him was that he was the one assigning a new Leader for Lavaridge."

I knit my eyebrows together before nodding determinedly. I stood and reached a hand out to him to help him stand. "You don't know the Leaders as well as I do. Trust me, I know at least one that will do whatever he can for us." I pulled the Pokéballs out of my belt and returned all but Vex, who had stubbornly refused to be encased. "You know Morgan of Mauville, I assume. His story is different than mine and different than yours. He's been here far longer than either of us." I gave him a glance over. "You probably would have been an embryo at the time if your age reduction still applied."

He stuck his tongue out at me at the tease and copied my motion to return his Pokémon. He left his Blaziken out, though, and the giant leaned across his shoulders, weight supported with seeming ease.

"I lost Peck in Mauville, but it was my fault," he said, playing with the Pokéballs that dangled around his left wrist; I assumed one of them was Peck. "I was just so worried that I threw the first ball I grabbed. Um... Not to change the subject, but your pretty lucky to have seven with you, and two of them rare, at that!" He leaned into his Pokémon. Seeing that they were ready, I started us off in the direction of the Bike Underpass. I could vaguely see the tall grass and did a quick calculation to figure that Vex, as weak as he was at the moment, could take care of any wild Pokémon we might come up against.

"Yes, well," I coughed nervously, blushing. "Jesus was a lucky find, I'll admit but… well, I sort of broke the rules with Gabe." I gesticulated as we walked, my hands waving lazily of their own accord. "I was in Dewford Cave, looking for Stephen – the plotline of the game still applies for me, I don't know if it's the same with you," I shrugged. "At any rate, I climbed down to the lower level and tripped over an Aron. I battled it, but I suppose Vex's Ember frightened the thing and it ran away before I could grab a Pokéball. Next thing I know I've got a Sableye an inch away from my face and my heart is about to give out. Gabe likes to think himself a trickster." I explained, rolling my eyes. "I really couldn't resist capturing him; call it a… guilty pleasure, I suppose."

He smirked at me. "I haven't broken the rules, but I can agree that a Sableye is definitely worth the risk. They are able to learn some strong moves, are not weak to anything, and they look awesome!" I had to agree heartily with that last comment. Volk patted his trainer's head and Tir gave him a sheepish look. "Not that you aren't awesome, of course." Then he turned back to me and asked, "Do you even know the punishment?"

I shrugged. "Not a clue but I'm not… terribly nervous about it, at least," I said, though I'm sure I probably didn't seem as indifferent as my words allowed. "I've gotten called out on it on several occasions, one of which was Morgan. He said he'd vouch for me and I hope it'll be enough." I gave him a sly look out of the corner of my eye. "So… you were never tempted to break the rules? Not once? C'mon, you can tell ol' Lucy…" I prodded his shoulder as we reached the Underpass.

Behind me, I heard Vex let out a sharp breath and I knew he'd just deep fried some poor wild Pokémon. Tir, obviously recognizing the sound, grinned.

"Well... It wasn't that this Pokémon is rare or anything… But I did have my heart set on catching a Zigzagoon at the start. Unfortunately, I never really ran into one, and it kind of wore off. Now I'd be tempted to catch another flying type." He then looked at me, a few feet ahead of him and his Blaziken. "Do you think he would vouch for me if I found a Tropius?" He looked up in thought.

"Hm, good question," I said, tapping my chin with a forefinger. "If we asked him in the right way, probably. He's not cold hearted, despite what you may think of him," I looked at Tiran. "I understand that you lost one of yours to him – and I have too – but you have to understand he's not doing it to be malicious. He's trying to prove a point; at least, he was with me," I informed him. I wasn't sure just what Tiran knew about the Leaders and their own pasts – though it couldn't have been much, since he didn't know they were Real World people until Eric informed him – but figured that he should be kept in the loop.

I decided to change the subject to something a bit lighter while he contemplated my words.

"So, a Tropius? That'd make three flying types on your team. Going for something there?" I asked, curious. I wasn't much into specific type teams myself but they seemed to work well with a lot of other trainers – both Real World gamers and the ones here.

"Heh, kinda," he admitted. "I guess I got attached to them, and it would actually make four." He gave me a sly grin, then continued. "Could we slow down a little? It's a bit hard to keep up the fast pace."

"Blai, ziken." Volk crowed, a mournful sound. Tir turned and ran a hand over his Pokémon's feathers, smoothing and soothing.

"Oh, right, sorry," I told them, slowing down. "I'm usually by myself and I've always been sort of a brisk walker," I told him. "Growing up in the city will do that to a person," I shrugged. I hesitated before speaking again. "So… Peck? They would be your fourth bird type, had they survived? You'd have made a great bird trainer," I told him, really meaning it. He looked and acted like he truly cared for his Pokémon and with so many being flying types it was easy to see how he could fall into the roll. "What Pokémon are you hoping for here on out? Other than a Tropius, of course," I amended.

He looked down at the miniaturized, grayed out Pokéball on his wrist and said, "No, if Peck were still alive, he would've made five if I also had a Tropius. I'd actually like to be a bird trainer, and I think the flying type you're confusing yourself on is Blizz. Other than a Tropius, though… I don't know if I could catch another Wingull, but I might like a Kecleon. I know it's not a bird, but its _somtimes_ a flying type!" he grinned up at me.

"But, wait, so Gyarados are flying times, right?" I pondered. "I can't remember… can they learn Fly? I mean, you'd think they'd be able to, but I'd like to know if I should be on the lookout for a flying type," I told him. "Huh, are there even flying types in Route 119?" I gave him a look. "We may just be in competition for a Tropius, friend, and I never back down from a challenge," I smirked.

"Yes, they are part flying. No, they cannot learn Fly. Yes, there are other flying types on Route 119," he rattled off. "There are also Wingull and Pelipper over there. There are even some on the next few Routes afterward, and they're all over the sea." He paused. "So, does this mean we're going to be travelling together?"

"Hm, dunno. Our end goal is the same, but the roads that lead us there may differ. And, don't get me wrong – you're great and all," I waved my hands to try and dismiss any negative connotations he may have gotten from that, "but I think I'd really like to finish this journey with my Pokémon. Keep connected, you know? I started it with them and I want to go the rest of the way with them. Does that make sense?" I asked. I did sort of sound odd to me, but in my head I realized just what I meant.

I came here, alone and confused with only the familiarity of Pokémon to comfort me. The people, the places – they were all things that looked different from the game but the Pokémon, they remained the same. I'd watched Vex and Jesus and – a twinge of sadness shot through me – Tilly grow so much in so little time that I wanted that chance with the rest of them. Just us. This was our time, I felt, and I selfishly wanted to keep it that way.

"Yeah," he agreed, smiling. "I would probably just slow you down, and I may have something else to do after we speak with Morgan, but we are definitely headed to the same place. I get it though, so don't worry. And we are definitely having the competition for that Tropius, don't think you can get out that easily!" He paused as I laughed."Hey, you said you were following the main line in the game, right?"

I nodded. "Yep, so far almost everything's been the same, though it seems like a mixture of all three games rather than just the Sapphire I played. The only real difference was back at Meteor Falls," I narrowed my eyes in thought and looked over at Tir. "That was you, wasn't it?"

He grinned sheepishly and raised a hand. "Guilty." For a brief moment, shadow was cast over us and we were encompassed in a cool spot. "But... Archie was... Nice. He talked with me, and it made me feel like this was real for the first time. Every other person I saw either wanted a battle or shoved something at me… Or hurt me." his voice trailed off. I sighed in response.

"You've obviously not been talking to the right people," I told him. "There are some people here – like my 'mother,'" I made air quotes, "and others that react solely with me – that are superiorly strange; a part of me wonders if they were just created to guide us along the right path. But then there are people, trainers and shop owners and nice old grandparents, who only want to help or talk to you. There is no way that they're fake," I said a passionate stroke to my voice. I thought of Anderson then and our brief meeting. "They go through the same emotions as us – excitement and curiosity and depression. And, as much as the gamer in me loathes to say it, Archie and Maxie are in the same category. They're not _evil_ just…" I chose my words carefully, "misguided. They think that they're doing the right thing for the world and everyone in it but they just can't see past their obsession."

"Even so, I guess I just stopped trying after my 'family'," it was his turn to use air quotes, "And just left people alone. Wally talked to me for a bit and he seemed friendly, but his aunt and uncle creeped me out. I never really talked to the shop keepers." He paused ever-so briefly. "I NEVER want to talk to the nurses again!"

He looked at his Blaziken. "Caid had real emotions," Volk rumbled an agitated crow, "just not the kind I wanted to see."

"You should try talking to trainers," I recommended. "They're great company when you need humans to talk to – " Vex sniped an ember my way to reprimand me and I yipped and darted out of the way. I glared at him before returning to the conversation. "Anyway… other trainers are, in general, good people who just want to help when they can and battle when they want." My eyes lit up. "Oh, and bartering is always a plus," I smirked. "I've got to say, I've fallen in love with TMs here."

"I really was only in Fallarbor for a long time, when my legs got broken, and I got really tired of listening to the coordinators yelling back and forth, arguing about moves." He sighed and looked up again, an odd quirk. "I wish they hadn't taken Thorn..." he murmured faintly. I paused briefly.

"You broke your legs?" I asked, confused. He said he'd only been here three weeks and if he'd broken his legs then surely he shouldn't have been healed already. "And…" I hated to bring up bad memories but my curiosity far outweighed my moral senses that were telling me to 'shut the eff up,' "Thorn?"

He winced before sighing. "It all happened at the same time, my legs and Thorn. I was making to leave Fallarbor to go to the summit of Mt. Chimney. I was attacked from behind, a Pokémon burning my legs then tackling them so hard they broke. I woke up two days later at the Pokémon center and found out that Thorn, my Electrike, was stolen. It was one of the reasons I made the swords, the other being a Spinda with the Pokérabies. My legs healed very quickly because I was forced to eat plates full of scrambled Chansey eggs."

My eyes hardened at his reply. "I take it back," I said, turning away from him and heading toward the now close Mauville City, Vex close at my heels. "Team Magma may just be evil after all."

* * *

**A/N: **Up quick, yes? Not much to say other than Yes, I am still RPing with **Nevin Slate** for his story **Red Moon** and that you should go read it, like, _yesterday_. It's a collab fic, if you don't already know, and set in the same universe I've created with this story. That OC you see up there? It's his main character from his story. So. Yeah. Go read!

**My amazing reviewers:** SplatterMusic, Ie-Maru, I have a dictionary here, Dodectron, Shawn, SparklySuu, Korona Karyuudo, IcyFeather12, and Soulful Plain Strider.


	17. Sixteenth Sojourns

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Sixteen **

"Morgan, I'm home! You've got some 'splainin' to do!" I called out as Tir, Volk and I entered the Mauville City Gym. I'd returned Vexyl to his Pokéball once we'd entered the city, the long walk and several battles he'd insisted on becoming too much for him.

The building was just as I remembered it, main room blank except for painted lines on the wood flooring and the empty bleachers off to the side. I nodded to my fellow trainer, silently offering the bleachers as a rest spot for him and his worn out Pokémon. As he turned to do what he wanted, I headed to the back room. I rapped on the panel once before ducking my head inside.

"Morgan?" I called again, confused at him absence.

"You know," a voice from behind me said, echoing faintly off the barren walls and close to my ears, "you really ought not to snoop."

I spun on my heel quickly, barely having enough semblance of sense to grab onto the doorknob before falling over.

"Dammit, Morgan," I swore as I took a few deep breaths. "You shouldn't sneak up on a girl like that!" I chided him.

"But you make it so easy," he taunted. As quickly and easily as his playful mood came, it went. All too soon he had his back to me and was walking across the Gym to Tir; I jogged to catch up to him and grasped his elbow.

"Hey," I said softly. "Play nice," I told him, knowing his pension for sometimes hurtful truths and the past experiences he'd had with my young friend. The white haired man nodded to me and we finished our short walk over to the stands.

"So we meet again," Morgan said. He offered a hand to Tiran, as close to an apology as he'd ever come, I'm sure.

"My name is Tiran," he replied. "I know I didn't introduce myself last time..." They released hands and Tir shifted back into his Blaziken. "This is Volk."

Morgan quirked his head and I watched on in half-curiosity.

"What… peculiar names," the Gym Leader responded. "Especially for your Pokémon; you and Lucy are really the only two trainers I've met who name their Pokémon." He shifted slightly so that I, too, was in his intense purple gaze. "Is he one of us too?" Morgan assumed. I nodded, too-long black bangs falling in front of my eyes. Impatiently, I swiped them behind my ears.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Tir and I came to the conclusion that he was probably supposed to be the one in Brendan's place."

Said boy looked up and gave a half smile. "My name isn't really Tiran, and I never actually nicknamed in the games, but I thought it would be better too here, give special consideration and attention to define my Pokémon as original." Volk reached up and patted his master on the head again. Tir gave him an unseen smile in return.

"Your name isn't Tiran?" I asked, confused. "I… don't get it."

"Agreed," Morgan said, knitting his brows together. "You introduced yourself as such, to both myself and the others, I can only assume."

"Um..." he said, voice and face showing his sheepish emotion. "That's the name I put in the game, I can't remember my real name…" he trailed off, lost in thought.

"Oh," I replied sympathetically. I suppose I'd forgotten that Tiran – whose name wasn't _really_ Tiran at all – had lost his memory of his old self; his name must have gone along with it, too. I briefly explained to Morgan about the situation and he 'hmm'd in understanding.

"I see," my most serious friend said. He took a seat on the bleachers, posture perfect (_as usual_, I snarked in my head), and I sat a level higher than the two white haired people.

"Whoa," I blinked down at them as they faced me. "We get Brendan here and we could form a rock group: Lucy and the Whitettes," I chuckled, strumming an air guitar to the tune I only heard in my head. I cracked my eyes open and saw Morgan's lips quirk up in amusement. I did so love it when I could make my cynical friend laugh – or, as close to laughing as he could get. Tir cracked a smirk and I felt that much more accomplished.

"That was a pretty good one, but didn't we come here for... more serious stuff?" he asked, eyes still lingering on the floor but a smile in his tone. I was proud to have been a part of putting that there – his life must have been horrible during the last three weeks and he deserved at least a little happiness. At his words, though, my face turned serious.

"Yeah, we did," I set myself in a more determined mindset. "Morgan, if I were to tell you that there was a League Official going around and brutally injuring trainer's Pokémon, what would you say?" I asked him, tone low and green eyes trained on Volk as he sat blindly, leaning against his Master. Morgan's purple irises flashed over to the Blaziken as well and understanding lit his eyes before they hardened.

"I would say what you are thinking, Lucy. I would say what should be said and plan what needs to be planned and do what needs to be done," he told us, voice edging along a passionate side. For a moment, I thought I was looking at a younger Morgan, a Morgan more full of life than the one I knew. He must've been seeing in Tiran and Volk what he saw in himself those many years ago – and this time he knew he could do something about it. "But first, I need a name," he asked of Tir.

"...Caid. His name is Caid." His voice was rough and he shivered. I knew he was reliving past memories, horrors infiltrating his mind like no other thought could. I could empathize and my mind briefly flashed back to Tilly's loss – the worst I'd suffered. How could my pain compare to his?

Morgan's eyes darkened.

"Caid Flannery?" he asked harshly. I was surprised to hear it from the unrufflable man.

"Flannery? Like the original Gym Leader?" I asked, darting my eyes between the two as Morgan seemed to stare Tir down. I was missing something here, but I couldn't quite put my gloved finger on it. What was going on here?

"I d-don't know," Tiran stuttered. "He had red hair at the roots! Like he'd forgotten to dye his hair!" He backed into his Pokémon and for the first time I noticed that the tall creature's eyes were bandage-less. The sight of dull eyes with a slashing scar across them were morbidly fascinating and make my stomach churn. I looked down as Tir shifted again and I realized that he was terrified. He looked just like the ten year old he was and I realized how much Morgan was staring at him. I grabbed the man's arm and turned him to face me.

"Morgan," I hissed at him. "_Calm down_," I ordered. His face tightened and, again, I had to wonder why this was such an important topic. I lowered my voice. "Please? Look what you're doing to Tiran," I directed his gaze to the 19-come-10 year old, burrowing into his Pokémon for comfort. The albino's face stayed tight but the muscles around his mouth and eyes eased up ever so slightly. He nodded briskly and looked down at his clenched hands as the muscles involuntarily flexed. I looked between the two and decided that we needed something to calm us all down – my own nerves were frazzled by Morgan's reaction, having never seen him this way.

I stood.

"I'm going to make us some tea, all right? Just… just breathe for a minute," I ordered and hesitantly turned, not quite willing to leave them alone together. Tea was always my grandmother's miracle worker in tense situations such as this and I'd turn to it now. I walked to the back room and prepared the brew on Morgan's little office kettle. _Just who is this Caid Flannery and why is Morgan so damned upset about him?_ I wondered as I watched the water boil.

After the whistle on the kettle rang out, I shut the hotplate off and dunked in some teabags I'd found in the cupboard. They weren't my Nonna's secret blend – something citrusy and infused with lavender – but plain old earl grey. It would do. I settled a few cups on a large plate – Morgan lacking a serving set – along with the sugar and a spoon. I couldn't find milk anywhere and had to wonder if it was a Morgan thing or an albino thing. I walked through the doorway, trying not to trip, and paused when I heard Tiran speaking to Morgan.

_Give them some space, Lucy_, I told myself. They needed to talk about something with each other – it didn't have to be anything important, but I had to make sure that they'd be okay with each other. After all, they were turning out to be two of the most important people in my life, so far. Tiran was quickly taking the spot of the little brothers I'd left back into the Real World and Morgan… he was an enigma and a friend and I needed his stability right now.

"Morgan?" Tir asked the fair-haired man. "Is there a prosthetic company here? Or maybe some-one who does it on the side? I want to get Volk a new leg." Volk tightened his arms around his Master in a hug, huffing pleasantly into his hair.

"I'm not sure about a true prosthetic," Morgan finally replied after a bit of thought. "But your best bet would be in Fortree City. Their market is based on wood working and tourism, I'm sure you could find someone to special make something to fit your needs," he told him. "I hope this helps."

Tir grinned at Morgan. "Yes, it does." He hugged Volk's feathered arm to his chest and seemed to relax for the first time since we'd entered the electric type Gym. "Won't it be nice to walk again, Volk?"

"Zi, Blai-ai zi ne," his Pokémon responded. It seemed to me, as I watched the two, that the Blaziken was more of an older sibling than a pet or a battle partner. The two fit well and it was nice to see that his Pokémon still trusted him. I decided it was the appropriate time to 'enter' at that thought and continued on over to the stands.

"Oh, good, you're both still alive," I greeted them as I set the plate onto a bench. "Blood is such a nasty stain to get out of nice wood floors," I lamented. Morgan rolled his eyes at me and I handed him a cup of tea. I poured two more and handed one to Tiran. I dumped a couple of spoonfuls of sugar into my tea – what? I like it sweet – before nudging the plate to the others. "Drink. Now," I commanded, mothering instincts taking over. They'd need the warm comfort of tea for the conversation to come. I could only hope that Morgan remembered to keep his cool and not scare the impressionable Tiran too terribly much.

"This is... nice?" Tir half said, half asked as he sipped his tea. He closed his eyes and took another sip. "Yes. It is nice." He closed his eyes and both his and Volk started to hum; the tune was haunting and sent a shiver down my spine. It didn't seem to affect Morgan in any way, but then again, I hadn't perfected reading his poker face. For some reason, the tune felt like foreshadowing. It fit the conversation I was about to invoke.

I cleared my throat slightly, hoping not to break whatever soothing trance my new friends were in.

"Morgan," I started, "who, exactly, is Caid Flannery? And what did he do to you?" The white haired man took a deep, composing breath, before beginning.

"Caid Flannery is indeed related to your supposed original Gym Leader," he closed his eyes in either memory or thought, I wasn't sure which. "The Leader I knew was Moore – a great fire trainer who retired a few weeks ago. He gave his position up to his granddaughter, Adriane. Once upon a time, though, Adriane Flannery was not to be the new Leader," he opened his burning eyes. "She had a younger brother, Caid. Moore told me about the siblings battling spirits, how talented they were. He'd decided that the younger of the two – Caid – would be the next Leader. He had a steady head on his shoulders and a fierce protectiveness for his sister. One day, though, he disappeared."

"Into thin air?" I asked. "No word, no nothing?"

"No, that isn't quite what I mean," he amended. "To the common people of the nation of Hoenn, Moore had announced his resignation and how he would, one day, hand off his title to his grandchild. He confided in only me and his family that it would be the son, not the daughter. So when the boy disappeared no one took notice but us. At the time," he said, weary, "I had still been making my way through the regions, collecting myself. I'd met Moore in Kanto and we kept in touch. After that was when I'd come to Hoenn, so that I could be there for the only true friend I'd made. That's also when the League started tracking me down. They'd sent a new recruit – a black haired boy who thought he knew best."

"Sounds like Caid, when I first met him he tried to tell me stuff I already knew, like he was doing me a great favor," Tir said lowly, pausing only briefly in his continuous humming before starting back up again. I'd have to ask him just what he was humming, one day.

"So you two are saying that Caid left his family because he – what, he didn't want the responsibility? Gave it up for his sister? Was afraid?" I surmised. It could be any or all of the above, really.

"I'm thinking it was the second of the three," Morgan told us. "Moore always told me about how he protected her and looked out for her, though he was the younger of the two. Her obvious enthusiasm for the Leadership was always known, but not once did I hear about Caid's ambitions. At any rate, when I met him, he was no longer the young, enthusiastic trainer his grandfather told me about. The man I met was fierce, cold, and determined to follow his lead. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

My mind paused at those words, mind traveling back to Lavaridge and the not-Flannery I'd fought.

"_That was murder I just committed, murder! You made me do it, you made me!"_ my mind echoed horribly at me, making my gut clench and the faint grief I still felt stand out. It was hard to think that I had fought her not even a week ago.

"I don't get it," I murmured. "I still just don't get it." Morgan turned his eyes on me. "We," I gestured between Tir and I, "and Eric figured out that our 'situation' probably has something to do with the Legendaries – and quite possibly the League themselves," he nodded, remembering the conversation from my last visit and the odd encounter I'd had with Stephen Stone and his cronies.

"What if he knew, and tried to save her? You said that he always protected her, so he tried to save her from disappearing… Which means that we did take the place of real people…" Tir realized, his tone sad. The bright upturn his humming had taken dipped back down to the haunting start. I frowned.

"Maybe," I admitted, sharing a glance with Morgan. I knew how Tiran felt on the subject – his emotions weighed him down with guilt; I, on the other hand, wasn't as concerned about it. _Point number two on why I'm not the protagonist_, I thought, remembering my conversation with Stephanie not long ago. Something clicked and I brought my eyes over to Tiran's still humming, depressed form. "You might've taken someone's place, Tir, but then again you might not have," I told him. I raised a hand before I got a protest from either of the males across from me. "Think about it – you were obviously supposed to be the Brendan of the game, right? Well that didn't happen and so you were shoved into another role. You could've taken someone's place, sure, but if the Legendaries are behind this – as we think they are – then perhaps they just _made_ a spot for you, last minute, since Brendan's had been taken?"

It was a long shot, but I'd take it. The white haired boy was growing on me and my sisterly instincts were screaming to make things right. I must've missed my family more than I thought.

"At any rate," Morgan said, brining the subject back around. "Tiran might be correct on why Flannery left his family. He very well may have done it to give her the Leadership and gone and joined up with the League. And if the League knows about our situations, as we think they do, then perhaps he wanted to save his sister the injustice of being replaced?"

I groaned and rubbed the back of my neck, leaning my elbows on my knees. "All of this is so damned subjective, it's giving me a headache."

"But, turning back to us replacing people from this world," Tir said, garnering the attention from Morgan and I. "Have either of you gone home since the start? When I stopped at the house I woke up in, it was deserted. It looked as if no one had been there for years, but I didn't think much of it at the time."

I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. "No," I said, "No, I haven't. I swung by the Lab but I didn't even think to stop by the house; Mrs. Maple," I refused to call her 'mom,' "kind of freaked me out the first time around."

"I, too, have never returned to the house in New Bark Town," Morgan informed us. "I never even journeyed through the rest of Johto; merely boarded a ship headed for Kanto and never looked back," he shrugged, unconcerned.

"What are you thinking, Tir?" I asked, curious.

"It's..." he paused, trying to articulate his thoughts. "Maybe the places we took. Maybe they were more memories then real. Like solidifying ghosts, they are already dead and went through it, so they only respond in set ways, unlike everyone else. Perhaps they were solidified to guide us in the start, and to give memories of them to the others in towns, but faded once we were past needing them." He paused again, this time to let us wrap our minds around the idea. "What if the main characters already lived and we took on a memory of their places, only offsetting a dead presence?"

My eyes widened as I understood what he meant.

"Like a guideline," I agreed, nodding enthusiastically. "Maybe the Legendaries didn't _create_ the people who started us out but _re_created the people we met."

"Perhaps," Morgan said, seeming to talk to himself. "Perhaps this has happened before." He looked up at us, as if realizing he'd spoken aloud. "After all, I was sent to Johto for supposedly the same reasons you were sent here," he gestured to us. "And that was ten years ago. The world goes through so many changes all the time – maybe the Legendaries have seen what would happen should they not interfere and, lacking anyone suitable in this world, took us from ours. They knew their world would be thrust headlong into chaos had they not done something – they'd seen the theory proved before, in the past – and decided to do something. In my time, I was not enough, and they learned from that," he paused and rubbed his hands together, lost in thought, before turning back to us. "That must be how the League knows."

"They've seen it before," I marveled. "They _know_."

"Whoa... It's like the whole 'save the cheerleader, save the world' thing," Tir said before pausing and bursting out incredulously, "Why the _heck_ would I remember that?"

I blinked at him. "… isn't that song or something?" I tilted my head. "I don't understand," I shook my head.

"Um... what?" he asked, sounding as confused as I felt. "It's the idea behind Heroes - a show - that the world would end unless they could save the cheerleader. It was predicted by a guy who could paint the future," he explained.

"Oh, so, the only way to save the world was to save the cheerleader in the process?" I concluded. "…so the League are the people who saw what the future would be – from what they knew of the past - and so they brought us in as the only way to save it; if we stop Groudon and Kyogre then we save the world," I extrapolated, eyes narrowed in concentration. I knew what he meant but it was hard to put it into words. "I get it I just can't seem to articulate it, y'know?" I asked them. Morgan tilted his head in agreement.

"Um, yeah, like that. Now I'm starting to get a headache from all this thinking." Tir drained his cup of tea and replaced it on the overly large plate before leaning back into his Blaziken and joining in the bird's humming.

I looked down at my own chilling tea and sipped at it, letting the homey flavor dance on my tongue. Beside me, Morgan sighed.

"I don't think we are going to get anywhere further," he told us. "I think we can all reasonably agree that, with the information we have, our conclusions are as sound as they can be."

I blinked at him. "Your lawyer-speak is giving _me_ a headache."

He gave me a mockingly disgruntled look, but I could see the amused affection in his gaze. He reached one long-fingered pale hand over and ruffled the already messy hair upon my head.

"Hey!" I fought, slapping at his hand. "It's bad enough what with the wind and bugs and Vex throwing embers at me," I rolled my eyes. "Don't need you adding on too."

Morgan chuckled deeply before smiling at both Tiran and I. I was glad to see that his stare no longer held any form of stern or disclosure as it rested on Tir; the not-ten-ten year old was growing on me quickly and as Morgan was already a very dear friend, I wanted the two to get along.

"Come," he gestured to us, standing. "I'm sure you've had a long walk and you all could use a rest," he lingered upon the blind Blaziken, anger simmering just beneath the surface. I was not sure if it was because of what had happened to him in the past or if it was because of what had been inflicted upon Volk, but I knew it stemmed from Caid Flannery in some form or another and it made me hate him all the more.

* * *

**A/N:** Would you look at that, another chapter! So, some bad news: I've been playing this on my ROM file of Emerald for a while now - since about Dewford, probably - and I went to open it up the other day and guess what? **File Freaking Corrupted.** So I get to start back over in Lavaridge Town. Woo. Well, it's not so terrible, I guess, but it _is_ a little annoying and you all just know how much I like to complain about things. Also: I'm moving - in real life, that is - but I'm trying to get through the chapters as quickly as I can. They've been going awesome because I'm still RPing with **Nevin Slate** but that all ends with the beginning of next chapter. Hopefully I'll keep with the magic mojo though and zip out another chapter soon.

Oh, and if you haven't been paying attention, that OC up there, **Tiran**, is Nevin's OC from his pokemon story (a collab fic with **Red Tide**). It's called **Red Moon** and you should all** go read it now**.

For my lovely reviewers: Four more and I have 100 reviews! Hells to the yes! **Hironada, Lightening-Alchemist-Rini (x bazillion** - thanks for all the reviews!)**, Nevin Slate, IcyFeather12, ChaoticxxHearts, Ie-Maru, Soulful Plain Strider, **and **Dodectron**.

And everyone wish Hironada a fast recovery because, even though they've been in the hospital, they took the time to read and review. Talk about dedication! Get well soon, Hiro!


	18. Seventeenth Stay

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Seventeen **

Tir and I spent the night in the lavishly plain living room of Morgan's home – i.e. the back half of the Gym Building. After numerous miniature arguments with Volk, Tir's Blaziken, and a long stare down the beady eyed bird, the two of us managed to convince him to take the sofa while we made pallets on the floor. At any rate, the next morning in Mauville (marking the tenth day I'd spent in the town, the longest in any one place in this world) called us up bright and early.

"Ooomph," I groaned, pulling the thin blanket I'd been provided over my head.

"It's time to get up," Morgan prodded me once more with his foot. I glared at him from the crack between my pillow and cover and risked a glance at my PokéNav. The green numbers informed me it was 7.15 in the morning and I turned my glare back on my white haired companion.

"It's seven in the morning," I informed him promptly.

"Yes, I know," he nodded.

"_In. The. Morning,_" I stressed seriously.

"_Yes_, I know," he repeated, prodding me once more with his foot.

"Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Yes," he nodded and I nodded back, promptly letting my head fall back on my pillow. "It means," he said, squatting and tugging at my covers, "that you need to get up."

"Nooo," I whined.

"Yeesss," he imitated. "Get up and go take a shower while I make some coffee." I huffed but got up anyway, the magic word bringing me to life. I looked over at the still sleeping ten year old on the other side of the floor. "Leave him," Morgan shook his head. "He looks like he needs the rest." I nodded and went off to go through my morning ablutions, happy to be clean despite the hour. Twenty five minutes later I emerged, freshly bathed and ready to scarf down the pancakes I could smell from the bathroom.

"Mmm," I hummed as I entered the kitchen. "Smells tasty."

"They are!" came Tir's vibrant agreement from the small kitchen table.

"No fair, you fed him first!" I pouted playfully.

"Well he _is_ my favorite," Morgan informed us as he sat a plate down in front me before taking his own seat."

"You know," I said, looking at him. "You should perm your hair; that way the apron I get you will complete the whole House-Wife look your going for."

"Oh, ha ha," he said sarcastically. I drenched my pancakes in syrup – what? I've got a sweet tooth, all right – before taking a bite of the fluffy confections.

"Mmmm," I hummed happily. "Delicious." I took a gulp of lukewarm, overly sweet coffee and the bitter tinge hit my tongue just right. "It's decided. I'm giving up training."

Tiran chocked on the orange juice he was drinking. He spluttered for a moment while Volk patted his back before leaning backwards and taking in deep breaths.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned at the gagging he had done.

"Yeah," he coughed out, "I used to do that all the time." He took another sip of the (apparently) dangerous drink. "How can there be orange juice here?"

"It's not orange juice," Morgan replied. "It's Qualot Juice," he informed us. "It's made from a berry; there are no oranges in Hoenn though they do tend to grow in Kanto."

"Wouldn't it grow in Johto, too, then?" he asked. I chewed my pancakes silently, watching the conversation like a tennis match. My mind was still on the fritz from being woken up so early and I was content to stay out of it.

"Oddly enough, no," Morgan shook his head, sipping his own Qualot Juice. "The soil of Johto isn't acidic enough for most berries, though Oran berries do enjoy the climate," he shrugged. "Nature is a fickle thing, I've found, so I try not to question it too much."

"Huh... Well, maybe I'll try and grow some there. You know, when this is all over." he said, shrugging. "So what happens next? I know I want to head to Fortree right away. Oh!" Tir burst out, obviously remembering something he wanted to ask. "Um… Morgan?"

"Yes?" the white haired man turned his gaze to the ten year old. Tiran's face suddenly became red and he turned his brown eyes to the ground, shyness overcoming him.

_He looks like Jonas whenever he meets someone new_, I thought fondly.

"Lucy told me you would vouch for her and Gabe. Would you do the same for me if I could find a Tropius?" he asked. I noticed a faint trembling along his hands and knit my brows together in concern.

"Of course," Morgan said kindly, sharing a fleeting, confused look with me as Tir was turned away.

"See," I told him, voice bright and masking my concern. If he wanted me to know, he'd tell me; I had to remind myself that we had only known each other not even a day and that I really ought not to pry. "Told you he would."

Tiran looked up and smiled shakily at Morgan and I. "Thanks."

"Of course," Morgan said. "The both of you should feel free to do what you think must be done; I understand the League's decision on why other trainers should limit themselves, and you should too, but if you think a Tropius would help, then by all means capture one. Just," he gave us a sly look, "remember not to flaunt them, yes?"

"Eh heh, eh…" I chuckled nervously. "I suppose that remark was for Jesus and Gabe, then?"

"Think what you will," Morgan replied innocently, turning back to his plate. I snorted and rolled my eyes, going back to my own food and practically stuffying my face with the good food.

We spent the rest of the breakfast silent except for the clattering of utensils on dishes and slurps of the juice and coffee. After that, Tiran and I gathered our things to leave. I knew he had plans to go to Route 118 and Fortree as quickly as he could and that my own plans varied. The night before, just after Tir and Volk had drifted off to sleep, Morgan had cornered me with a question.

"_Will you do me a favor?" the albino asked me as I tossed my recently cleaned clothes into my satchel._

"_Why do I get this ominous feeling when you say things like that?" I questioned aloud, glancing up at him._

"_Because you, my dear, are a pessimist and always expect the worst."_

"_Well, yes, that could do it… What is it you wanted, again?"_

"_The city electricity is 'on the fritz' as you might say," he informed me. "As the Gym Leader I am as close to a Governor as these people have. Unfortunately, I am lacking in water Pokémon and the main power supply is in the trenched off area of ocean just south of the city."_

"_And you want me to go fix it," I guessed. It seemed familiar, and I was reminded of the mini-plot that I'd forgotten about._

"_If you wouldn't mind?" he asked. "You'll be compensated, of course; I have a rather valuable Thunderbolt TM that might prove useful to you."_

"_Bribery will get you everywhere," I winked jauntily at him. "Yeah, sure, I'll go. Question, though: why ask me? I'm sure Tiran could probably use the TM as much as I could." Morgan got a thoughtful look on his face._

"_It isn't that I don't trust the boy," he told me. "It's just that…" he searched for his words._

"_That you __know__ me," I nodded, understanding. "I'll go tomorrow; I think I need some alone time with my Pokémon anyway," I said fondly, running a hand over my ball belt._

"_Thank you."_

"Lucy?" Morgan tapped my shoulder, bringing me from my reverie.

"Huh?" I turned to him, away from Tir and Volk as they gathered the last of their belongings.

"Here," the purple eyed man said, pressing a key into my hands. "This goes to the basement access of the electrical plant.

"Gotcha," I nodded. Then I remembered something. "Oh! I don't think I got your PokéNav number last time…" Morgan nodded and pulled out a snazzy little blue PokéNav and linked the end jack to the one on mine. The machines beeped after a moment and a new number appeared in my address book. "Gonna need yours too, Tir."

"My what?" He asked, pulling his Nav out. I walked over to him and plugged the ends of the two devices together. Nothing happened and I tilted my head.

"Huh, weird, it should just register…" I muttered. "Can I see this?" I poked his Nav.

"Sure," he handed it to me. I opened the latch in the back and noticed something missing immediately. After all, I'd watched that scientist rummage through mine.

"You're missing the chip for the phone application," I told him, showing the empty slot.

"Is this it?" he pulled a small, green, silicon-wrapped chip from his pack. He didn't wait for an answer, but put the small chip squarely into its slot. It pinged and he said, "Phone!"

I chuckled. "Yeah, that's it. Here, just plug your end into mine and it should…" we clicked them together and the devices pinged again. I read off the two new names on my phone. "Morgan Arnett and Tiran. Huh," I tilted my head. "Looks like you _don't_ have a last name." I shrugged, half wondering if I had not been stuck as 'Lucy Maple' if I would be in the same situation.

"Well, I'm ready to head out!" Tiran chirped as Volk leaned against him. There was something off in his tone but I shrugged it off. _Don't pry, Luce, don't pry_.

"Me too," I agreed, throwing my pack across my shoulders. The four of us headed out the main entrance and into the bright morning sun of Mauville, a breeze pushing gently past us. I took a deep breath, knowing that as soon as I left for Route 118 it'd be musk and rain from there on out. I turned to Tir and grinned at him, reaching out and ruffling his hair much like Morgan had done to mine the night before. "Good luck, runt," I teased.

"See ya round, big sis," he said, wrapping his arms around me in a hug._ Glad to see I'm not the only one_, I thought, remembering the way he reminded me of my big sisterly duties. He stepped away and headed East for Route 118 and I turned to Morgan.

"Well," I took a deep breath. "I'll see you in a bit, I suppose."

"Good luck," he told me as I turned to the South.

* * *

"Well that was eventful," I said as I stepped off of Copper's back.

"Gyaaa," she roared, an agreement I liked to think.

We had just crossed the little body of water that separated the land outside of Mauville to the little island that held the city power supply. It wasn't so much the small journey that had been a handful, but rather the many Pokémon we'd encountered on the way over. Within the fifty feet of water, Copper and I had tackled three Tentacools, a Wingull and a tiny little Magikarp – none of which were very strong. It wasn't so much that it was a bother to battle them into submission, but that they'd been annoying. Like mosquitoes. My eye twitched at the thought before I turned and called Copper back to her ball.

"All right, Vex," I called forth the Combusken. "Let's get you back into shape."

Vexyl cawed, ready to get busting some Pokémon. I wasn't quite sure if there were actually wild electrics in the basement like there were in the game, but I'd rather be prepared. What I was sure of, though, was that if there indeed _were_ wild Pokémon, Vex – in all his fiery glory – could take out any Magnemites and Voltorb we would encounter.

Walking around the large boulder on the island, I found a niche with a set of stairs. Leading my starter down the narrow entranceway, we stumbled into a dark cave, metal door at one side and a thin beam of light coming from above.

"This must be it," I said to myself; I had gotten used to talking to Tiran in the last day and it was odd _not_ to say anything. I pulled out the key that Morgan had given to me last night and inserted it into the locking mechanism set dead center in the metal door. I twisted it and it clicked; suddenly, an overhead light blared to life and a faint buzzing could be heard from below my Pokémon and I. trading a shrug with Vex, I slipped through the door and down yet another set of stairs.

When I entered into the electric warehouse the first thing I did was gag.

The air was thick and untendered by the crisp breeze above. It was doubtless to me that no one had been here in quite a long time. I flicked my hand through the air in front of my face and looked around. It was a stereotypical kind of place. White walls, white tiled floors, boxes littering the corners, some opened and some not. All in all it was pretty bland and reminded me quite a lot of Morgan's office.

_Better not let him hear you say that_, I thought to myself as Vexyl and I started to walk. We went around the corner and, lo and behold, a Magnemite attacked. Startled, I order Vex to use an ember.

"Combu!" he yelled as he threw a burst of flame at the steel type. It cried in its metallic voice and darted off and around a corner.

"Still good, bud?" I asked my Pokémon. He gave me an offended look and I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, you feather brain," I groused, marching us off and around another corner.

We spent quite a bit of time rummaging through the various rooms and compartments in the warehouse; this was partially because Vex was enjoying beating off the electric types (which had taken to attacking us two at a time for some reason; at any rate, it was giving my starter the refresher course in battling that he needed) and partially because I was, well, lost. Eventually, though, Vexyl and I found our way through the maze of white rooms. After we'd figured out that the buzzing we'd heard earlier was not only from the halogen lights in the ceiling, but also because of the generator in a back room. I went to push down on the tile button on the floor but it stuck.

"It was the Combusken in the back room with a high kick," was the first thing I told Morgan over the PokéNav.

"What?" he asked, clearly confused. I snorted.

"The button on the floor – it stuck," I told him. "So I told Vex to smash the thing," I shrugged, belatedly realizing he couldn't see it. I shrugged at that, too.

"Right," Morgan said in a tone that suggested he still didn't quite understand me. "At any rate, meet me at the Pokémon Center; I'm sure you'd like the Nurse to have a look at Vexyl."

"Sure do. He seems fine, but I want a once-over just in case," my fire type puffed out some smoke at that as we ascended the stairs to the cave-room. "I'll see you in a bit." I flipped the device closed and jammed it back into one of the pockets in my red cargos. I took out the key I'd used previously and twisted it counterclockwise in the lock and the metal door shut once more. The light above us flickered before shutting off and I let my eyes adjust for a moment before Vexyl and I left up the second set of stairs.

The light and airy breeze scented with sea salt was a reprieve from the dank, musty smell of the warehouse and I was more than happy to be out of there.

"Vex, return," I called, zapping him back into his ball and aligning it at the front of my party. I grabbed Copper's and we were off, travelling across the sea once more.

It seemed to take less time to get back to land and the thrumming heart of Mauville than it had to go away from it. There was just something about the city that seemed to attract me; perhaps the salty air or the warm sunshine? Maybe even just the general feel of amiable calm. At any rate, I waded through the midday crowd and found myself at the Pokémon Center at about half past one. _Huh,_ I thought, _that took longer than I thought it would_. I shrugged and walked up to the counter. I was behind two other trainers – they were both around eleven-ish and each held a Nidoran in their hands, one of each sex.

"Queeny totes won that match!" the little girl argued, hugging a pink poison type to her chest, a ribbon tied to its horn.

"No way! Kings smashed the match!" the boy argued, kneeling down to pat his blue Pokémon.

I looked between the two children before snickering and attracting their attention.

"What're you laughing at?" the boy huffed at me, crossing his arms.

"You guys _do_ realize that pink Nidoran are boys and blue Nidoran are girls, right?" I chuckled at their wide eyed looks. They gaped at each other's Pokémon before turning fierce glares on me, blushes adorning their faces.

"They are not!"

"Yeah, no way!"

"Actually," a voice came from behind me. "She's right."

I turned and sassed at the white haired man, "Of course I'm right! Lucy is always right!"

He chuckled at me.

"Of course, how could I forget? Lucy is right, the world is flat, and vampires sparkle. Of course," he rolled his eyes. I snorted, turning back to the two kids.

"Wanna apologize?" I asked them, quirking a brow. Their faces reddened with embarrassment and they mumbled faint apologies before rushing off, the check-up on their Pokémon apparently forgotten. I shrugged, stepping up to the counter, before turning back to Morgan, pausing in confusion. "How'd you know that?" I asked him.

"Know what?" he questioned.

"About the sparkly vampires thing," I prompted. "How do you know about Twilight?"

"Please," he rolled his eyes. "In my time it was all anyone could ever talk about."

"Wait a minute," I shook my head, narrowing my eyes in concentration. "You said you'd been here ten years." He nodded. "Twilight sprung popularity like three years ago."

"It's not 2017 back in the Real World?" he asked, face losing some of its rigidity due to surprise.

"No," I shook my head. "I suppose I was right then… about the time thing, with Tiran."

"Oh?" he said, quickly coming over his surprise. With the odd things that have happened in his life so far I couldn't blame him, taking everything as it came.

"Well, we had to think about why he didn't take Brendan's place, right? I thought it might've been because the timing was off or something," I shrugged.

"Hm," Morgan contemplated. "That seems about right. He must've started his game a mere few minutes after you did yours, causing the shift."

"Leader Arnett," a bubbly voice came from behind me as I leaned against a counter. I turned and saw the ever familiar pink haired Nurse Joy. "And Lucy too. How is your shoulder?"

"It's good – I'd actually forgotten all about it," I shrugged heftily with my right shoulder as if to prove my point.

"That's good to hear," she smiled. "Anything I can help you two with?"

"Yes," Morgan took up. "Could you do a check up on our Pokémon, please? Lucy's Combusken in particular," he added as I handed over my belt.

"Oh?" she blinked over at me, concern written on her face.

"Rough gym battle in Petalburg," I explained. She nodded kindly and, taking my belt and the leather poach that Morgan kept his Pokéballs in, headed to the back room.

"So," I said, our previous topic exhausted. "Where's this TM you promised me?"

"You forget nothing, do you?" he chuckled.

"Nope!" I replied cheerfully. He snagged a disk from an inner pocket of his coat and handed it to me.

"Thunderbolt, as promised," he bowed slightly, presenting the thing to me.

"Pleasure doing business with you," I nodded.

The rest of the day was nice and relaxing – a break for both me and my Pokémon. I let my team run around the back lawn of the Gym while I trained Minnow to use our new attack. Halfway through the few hours of training we did, Morgan came out from his office and had his Electrike help with my Minun's abilities. After a while we managed it and Morgan offered me another night's use of his couch. I gladly accepted, trying to prolong the time I spent without anything immediate to worry about. I knew that soon enough I'd have more to deal with – the Institute with Team Aqua, Brendan's battle, and the newest Gym Leader – but for right now, I just wanted to enjoy my Pokémon in the way I always imagined I would.

As I watched Minnow ruffle through the leaves on Roxie's head, a warm feeling heated my chest – a feeling I hadn't truly felt since coming to this world. I embraced it and sighed, laying back into the soft grass.

_Family_, I smiled.

* * *

**A/N:** See? Told you guys it'd be up fairly soon! I don't have much to say about this chap, as it is basically a filler chapter. So... ENJOY.

**My Lovely Reviewers Whom Are Lovely:** Lightning-Alchemist-Rini, TheBrick, Hironada, IcyFeather12, I have a dictionary here, ChaoticxxHearts, Soulful Plain Strider, and Nevin Slate.

Oh, yeah, and WE BROKE 100 REVIEWS! Party time! -throws streamers-


	19. Eighteenth Enroute

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Eighteen**

"Hm?" I grumbled, barely cracking my eyes open.

_Beep beep beep!_Something squealed from my pack. I reached across the couch and over to Morgan's coffee table and rummaged through the bag. Finally finding my PokéNav, I flipped it open; flashing numbers read off _1.05 AM_ and _Tiran_. Knitting my brows together, I answered.

"Lucy?" he said, voice shaking heavily. I was instantly awake at the sound and sat up.

"Tir? Tiran?" I questioned, highly concerned, voice still rough with sleep.

"I-I found some vials of the disease." His voice shuddered and I could hear a sob from the other end.

"The disease?" I asked, confused. After a quick flash of recognition, I said, "The rabies virus?"

"Yes. I found it in a burned down b-building," his voice stuttered.

"Do you… want to talk about it?" I asked, not willing to push but wanted to offer whatever comfort I could. Something had happened between this morning at breakfast and now and whatever it was, was bad.

"I had to kill them," he burst out, sobs echoing over the line. "There were so many, but I had to kill them!"

"Hey, hey," I said softly. "Shhh, it's all right." I wish I could've been where he was to comfort him; it ached not to be able to console him physically. I wasn't quite sure what had happened, except that it must've involved infected Pokémon. _Tir must have had to kill them_, I thought, horrified at what he must've been going through. A faint echo of the horror I'd felt so long ago when I arrived here, the attack of the rabid Poochyena. _Times a hundred – a thousand, he must be feeling this_.

"No, it isn't. Only two are still alive," he said through his whimpers. "I killed all except two. There is so much blood."

"You had no choice," I replied. "And there are still two left. Think not about what you've done," I told him. "Think about all the Pokémon in the future that your discovery will save. And now that we know someone's behind this, the League can find them and prevent it from ever happening again." I wouldn't tell him 'it was a good thing' because it was far from. Yes, he'd inadvertently found a few vials of the disease and it'd save so many Pokémon. But what he'd had to do was almost not even worth it. He shouldn't have had to go through this.

"It will help. I'll send it all to Morgan when I reach Fortree. Will you tell him?"

"Yeah, sure, of course," I said lowly, suddenly remembering that not ten feet away Morgan lay, asleep.

"Bye, then. I'm going to continue on. There's no way I'll be able to sleep."

"All right, Tiran. Be safe, all right? Good bye."

And that was that. Our conversation was over with a _click_ of the phone line and a tense knot in my stomach. I knew that, right at that moment, Tiran was wondering off, alone in a murky Route, half awake because of terror and guilt. And it was true, what they said – that if stressed enough you just couldn't go back to sleep. I'd never had problems with insomnia before but as I laid down, PokéNav still clutched in my hand, I couldn't sleep. After forty minutes of tossing and turning, I got up, dressed, and wrote a note to Morgan. All three of us didn't deserve to be relentlessly exhausted tomorrow, I figured.

_Morgan – _

_Something's happened. Tiran called me at 1.00 AM in near tears; he said he'd found a vial of a concentrated Pokémon Rabies virus. He was attacked by some infected wild Pokémon and had to defend himself. He said he'd send the vials to you once he reaches Fortree City._

_I can't go back to sleep. I'm heading out that way – I have to __do__ something, I can't just sit here. He'll be fine, I think, but I'm heading out. Call me on the PokéNav. We have to figure out what the hell is going on._

– _Lucy_

It was a simplified version of the horrible situation that had occurred, but I could explain it better in the morning. As I flexed my fingers – out of the habit of writing after so long – I grabbed my pack and left the Gym, locking the door behind me. Hopefully, an early (early) start would do me good.

* * *

"Oof," I grumbled, sliding headfirst into a mud puddle. I flicked the gunk from the tips of my fingers, but it was no use; my head and front were coated with the sludge mixture. I glared around, trying to see through my blurry eyes.

I was on Route 119, an hour and a half after my call with Tiran. As I expected, it was raining – no, I take that back. It wasn't raining. It was like a typhoon out here; the gusts lifted my stringy locks from under my soiled bandana and the rain forced me to take off my glasses. My limbs were going numb; the chill of the rain combined itself with the cold front that had come out of nowhere. I could hardly believe that I was anywhere near the sunny paradises of Mauville and Slateport. I never imagined a place in Hoenn could be like this.

My teeth chattered as I tried in vain to rub warmth into my arms. I kicked at the 'grass' I was walking through – I say grass, but the straw-like stuff was taller than I was, clouding my view in every direction. I kicked at it again and a yelp sounded. I frowned, reaching out and parting the grass, only to have a blur of brown fly at me.

"Ah!" I yelled, covering my face with an arm. I tried to bat at whatever was attacking me, but its sharp claws left gashes on my arms.

"Linooo," it howled before biting down on my upper arm. I yowled, hitting the beast with a fist; it was pointless – my attempts had no effect on the Pokémon.

"Get off, get off, get off," I shouted, terrified. I couldn't see a damn thing, a wild (and possibly viral) Pokémon was attacking me, and I was exhausted. I couldn't tell if I was crying, but I thought I was. With a burst of frightened energy, I rolled over, crashing the Linoone to the ground. I hit it to the dirt again and again before it let go and ran off, leaving me kneeling and hunched over on the ground, blood mixing with dirt and rain. I clutched at my wounded arm, skin torn beneath my fingers.

I bit my lips at the feeling and reluctantly pulled my clutching hand from the wound. I tugged a random Pokéball from my belt and let it slip through my wet fingers to the ground. It cracked open to show my little Sableye.

"Gabe," I said, voice hoarse as I tried to speak above the tumult.

"Saaa," he hissed, concerned. He huddled up to my injured arm and lapped at the blood with his sandpaper tongue. I groaned.

"Gabe, no," I pushed him away from the wound. "I need you to help me find a house or someone to help me, okay?"

"Eye," he agreed, tugging faintly at my injured arm, jewel eyes flickering to my wound every so often.

We stumbled through the too-tall grass for what felt like hours, me tripping over things I couldn't see and my ghost dashing off for a split second if he sensed something nearby. Finally we stumbled into a large clearing just as dawn rose to greet us with a yellow ring through the grey tinge of the rainclouds. My body ached, my arm itched something terrible, and I could barely see the vague outlines of what I hoped were friendly people.

"Are you okay, Miss? Miss?" the man called to me, glasses flashing – the last thing I saw before losing consciousness.

* * *

"Ugh," I groaned as I awoke. I cracked my eyes open and instantly regretted it as brilliant white light filtered into my sight. I shifted, trying to bring my arms up to cover my eyes, only for an ache to present itself insistently upon me. The upper half of my left arm throbbed something terrible and I chanced a roll over onto my side. Carefully, I opened my eyes against the light and blinked the stinging salt water away. Looking around, I didn't know where I was.

I was in a bed, surrounded by white walls. On the other side of the room I saw that the area led out to a hallway, no door attached to the entrance. I squinted, confused. How the hell had I gotten here? Where _was_ here?

_I remember Tiran calling_, I thought, _and being unable to sleep. _For a brief moment I thought I was still at Morgan's Gym, but quickly dismissed it because this room was nowhere in Morgan's place, I knew.

_I – I left, that's what I did. I headed out to Route 118 and 119_, my eyes narrowed in concentration farther, trying to dismiss the headache that was quickly forming from the bright light and shifting through my memories. _It was raining and dark, I took off my glasses. Tall grass, slipped… Linoone, a Linoone attacked me!_ I remembered. _My arm_, I grabbed at the appendage with my right hand only to find bandages blocking my skin. I looked at it, the white cloth wrapping itself from my elbow to my shoulder. I trailed my fingers over it and realized that it went around my back and to the front again, under my shirt – no, not my shirt. I was, for whatever reason, wearing a pair of thin, grey scrubs.

My stomach clenched. Someone had to have undressed me for that to have happened and I was far from okay with that level of familiarity – especially with someone I didn't know. _On the other hand,_ I thought, _they did fix me up from that attack. But how did they find me?_

"You're awake I see," a voice came from the door. I looked over my shoulder, seeing the fuzzy form of a blond woman. I blinked at her.

"Where - ?" I asked, surprised that my voice sounded raw. I tried to swallow but my mouth was dry.

"Here," she walked forward, handing me a glass of water. I took it with my right hand taking small sips; I hummed gratefully at her. "You're at the Weather Institute on Route 119," she informed me. I nodded, that made sense. "I'm Sarah. I'd shake your hand, but you seem pretty occupied," she seemed amused. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

I set the water down on the bedside table and put together my thoughts. "I remember walking the Route and falling in some mud… then there was a Linoone, I think," I rubbed a hand to my brow. "It's pretty much a blur after that."

"That makes sense with how we found you," she agreed. I tilted my head. "You staggered up near the Institute, soaked and covered in mud. My fellow, Robert, was out front, throwing some things away when you came up. It's a good thing we found you," she tsk'd. "After we'd brought you in and I started to clean you up, I realized you'd been attacked. I fixed up your wound," she gestured to the bandages and I was grateful it had been her and not 'Robert.' "It was infected with the Rabies virus, you were lucky you found us when you did, though I think that Sableye may have had something to do with it."

"Sable – you mean Gabe?" I honestly didn't remember letting him out. I noted to myself to thank him. "Where is he? He's all right, right?"

"Shhh, he's fine," she calmed me, sitting on the edge of the bed. "He's actually upstairs with some of the scientists' Pokémon. To be honest, we're all a little fascinated by him," she grinned. I had to agree, for as creepy as my little ghost was, he was also pretty damn awesome. "I need to reapply the ointment for your shoulder and then we can go see him, if you'd like."

"Yes, please," I agreed. "Did you find my bag or my belt?" Sarah nodded once more standing and opening the drawer on the bedside table. Out of it appeared my olive colored pack and the brown belt with my Pokémon on it. I took them gratefully and stood, tempted to strap the belt around my waist, right where it belonged. On the other hand, I think I'd wait until I had _my_ clothes back to do that. I pulled open my bag and dug inside it for my glasses, giving a happy sigh when I could once more see clearly. I turned to Sarah and she helped me out of my shirt and the bandages – a blush formed on my face and neck, not exactly used to being so exposed – and I turned my attention to the wound.

The bite itself wasn't so bad, slightly raw and torn around the edges, but not deep. It was the area around it that had me concerned.

"What the hell…?" I breathed as I stared at the deep purple mesh of skin that wove itself around my arm and up my shoulder. It looked terrible, blotchy and black in some places. I wasn't sure what rabies looked like in the Real World, but I had a feeling it was nothing like this.

"Yeah," Sarah agreed, sighing sadly. "This is what an infected bite looks like. We think it has something to do with the trasmissive qualities of the virus toning the skin with duplicate cells. But, of course, we're not sure," she shrugged. "It should go away in about a week and you'll only need to apply the ointment for the next few days," she told me. As Sarah applied the lotion I shivered at the cool cream as it touched my heated, infect skin, trying not to look at the black and purple that dusted my arm and shoulder. She started to wrap the bandages around my arm.

"Quick question," I paused her as she finished mummifying me. "Where are my clothes?" I felt bare in the too-thin scrubs.

"Well, you were covered from head to toe in mud, rain, and blood by the time you got here, so when I dressed your wounds I took them and tossed them into the wash," she informed me.

"Ah," I nodded. I pulled my knee-length shorts out of my pack along with the white tank top I'd started with. Sarah politely turned away as I changed, struggling my way into the clothing. After I'd tugged on the clothes, I picked up my belt and put it back in its proper place at my waist.

"Ready?" she turned around after my belt clicked. Seeing that I was done, she turned to the exit. "Up to level three we go."

I followed after her, my arm aching underneath the tight cloth wrap, anxious to see my Sableye. I needn't have worried, though, as he was just fine where he was.

"Saaa," he hissed as I entered the room. His jeweled eyes were trained on an Espeon and a Natu duo as he performed his move. As he lifted a sharp taloned finger, something shimmered in front of him and I smiled. _Detect_, I thought, his newest move. The shimmer trailed across the air as he moved his finger and the little Natu was enthralled as the Eeveelution watched on in apparent contentment. Gabe let the light fade and the little bird type twittered in happiness. A scientist on the other side of the room clapped as he observed him and I joined in.

"Saaa? Ble!" my ghost turned to me and shouted, joyous at my recovery. He raced to my side and curled himself around my leg, on the side of my shadow, as usual. I kneeled down and rubbed my hand over his quasi-scaled head as he nuzzled my thigh. I smiled at him, glad he was okay.

"Remarkable," I heard from ahead of me. I looked up to see a lab coated men scribbling on a note pad furiously.

"Erm, excuse me?" I tilted my head.

"Huh? Oh," he faced me, pushing his thick lenses back up his nose with a finger. "The relationship between your Sableye and you is astounding. Generally, ghost Pokémon are antisocial and hard to train under command. On the other hand you two seem to be in perfect sync!" he enthused, sounding quite like a cheesy line from the game.

"Oh, uh, thanks?" I said, kind of wondering what he was going on about. Far as I'd ever heard you were _supposed_ to build these kinds of relationships with your Pokémon.

"Would you – that is, would you mind terribly staying a few days?" he asked. "I'm Robert and I'd be very interested in watching your interaction with the rest of your Pokémon."

"Well…" I wasn't so sure about that. I'd been stagnant for a few days already and I was itching for the continuation of my journey, despite my injuries. Of course, that same stubbornness was what got me into this mess in the first place.

"You need to stay here anyway," Sarah interceded. "So that your infection can clear itself up. It would be morally wrong of me to let you leave under anything other than peak conditions," she smirked vaguely.

"…You're one of those manipulative sorts, aren't you?" I asked bluntly. She grinned widely at me and I sighed, looking down at Gabe. "Feel up to being 'observed'," I used my fingers to do the quote marks.

"Saaableye," he shrugged, burrowing deeper into my leg. I couldn't blame him, I knew how freaked Jesus had gotten when I'd hurt my _other_ shoulder and I'd been up and ready in no time. Here, he had to watch me be carted off unconscious for who knows how long. Which reminded me…

"How long was I out, anyway?" I asked Sarah while looking for a window. I found one, but all I could see was rain and darkness.

"A day and a half," she told me promptly. My jaw hit the floor.

"A day and a half?" I parroted.

"Yes, that's what I said," she rolled her eyes. "Your body needed time to rest and heal itself. It didn't help that you had probably missed quite a bit of sleep, if the time you arrived here was any indication," she quirked a brow accusingly at me.

I shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." Not necessarily a lie. At that moment, my stomach rumbled angrily at me at the absence of food. "Uh… don't suppose I could get something to eat?"

They laughed at me. "Of course," Robert said, extending a hand to help me up. He walked us over to the other side of the long room, the Natu and Espeon following their masters closely. Gabriel had latched himself to my leg, refusing to let me go. As it turned out, the long room on the third level was split in half, one section for lounging and the other was a large kitchen – probably to accommodate their many lab technicians.

"You let out your Pokémon," Sarah told me, "and I'll fix us a few sandwiches."

"That sounds great," I agreed, shifting to face the open section of the room. "I'll let them all out but Copper – she's my Gyarados," I explained.

"Oh, you can let her out a window," Robert told me, sitting at a table. "I'm sure she'd like the rain and there are a few rivers in the area she can visit."

"That sounds good," I nodded. Cop hadn't been able to really play since I'd caught her, this'd be a good time for her own little vacation while we were stuck in the Institute. I went to the window I'd looked out earlier and unhooked the latch, pushing the pane open easily. I palmed her ball and tossed it into the pouring rain. It cracked open to reveal a brilliant white light in the shape of my blue monster before automatically sealing itself up and returning to my hand.

"Dooos," she roared after being released.

"Hey, girl," I called to her. She turned her massive head to me and hovered near the window. I patted her head and she closed her eyes, rumbling. "We're gonna spend a few days in the area so you can soak up the rain, all right?"

"Gyaaaraa," she roared before turning away and going skyward. I knew she'd be back, so I wasn't worried. I turned back to the room and grabbed my other Pokéballs.

"All right, guys," I called, tossing the orbs. A montage of voices rumbled throughout the room. Vexyl, Jesus, Minnow, and Roxie were the first wave of monsters before I grabbed Nonna's ball last, releasing her into the melee. I faced Sarah and Robert as they looked on my team curiously. _Not team,_ I decided with a smile,_ family._ My Pokémon were my pack, along with Morgan, Tiran, Stephanie, and Eric, I realized. It's odd how I left one life only to find another.

Clearing my throat, I got into what I liked to call 'presentation mode,' crooking a hand at my pack to get in line. "This is Vexyl," I told the scientists, my Combusken stepping forward and emitting a flame from his beak. "Show off," I muttered as he got back in place.

"Combuu," he shrugged. _Conceited little thing_.

"Minnow and Roxie," the two smallest bounded forward – all the way up to Sarah and Robert, sniffing and chattering at them excitedly. I coughed pointedly, snickering as Roxie and Minnow gave me pouting faces before going back to the line. "Jesus," my Kirlia stepped forward, curtseying politely before taking her step back. "And Nonna."

"Nuu," she said monotonously, staying in place. I blinked at her and shrugged at her slothfulness.

"They're all so well behaved," Robert remarked.

"Yes, very nice. Was it a lot of trouble to train them?" Sarah asked, setting the tray of sandwiches on the table along with a couple of water bottles. I rummaged through my pack and pulled out enough Pokémon food for my team. I tore open the bags and Robert kindly handed me a plastic bowl for Nonna's – her lack of opposable thumbs a disability in this respect. After they started munching, I sat down and grabbed one of the sandwiches and bit into it, tearing off a hearty chunk.

"Mmmm, delicious," I said after swallowing, my stomach settling at the promise of more food. "But, no, it wasn't hard to train them, really. They enjoy battling," I shrugged awkwardly, the wraps around my shoulder stilting my movement.

"Well, you've certainly raised them well," one of them commented. I was a little busy devouring my food to notice.

"You make it sound as if that's a rare occurrence," I noted, pausing my gluttony.

"Oh, no it's not," Sarah replied quickly, shaking her head. "Indeed, most starter trainers treat their Pokémon exceptionally well. But it seems that as time goes on, the longer a trainer has their Pokémon, they take them for granted," she explained. "It's nice to see that after all your time as a trainer you still treat them properly."

I blinked at her. "I'm a new trainer," I told them. "Vex," the Combusken looked up from his food briefly before dismissing us as unimportant, "is my starter."

"You mean _ever_?" Robert asked.

"Uh… yes."

"Why?"

"Why what?" I asked, confused.

"Why didn't you get a starter at ten like other trainers?" Sarah asked, clarifying her partner's questions.

My mind blanked. Honestly, I hadn't really thought about a 'background story' per sa. It hadn't seemed important – or crossed my mind at all, really. As quickly as I could, I tried to recall May Maple's life line.

"Oh, well, uh… See, I grew up in Johto and my dad, Eri – erm, Norman, was training up to be Gym Leader. He wanted to home school me and wait until he'd gotten the job for me to start my journey since it wasn't a given that we'd stay in Johto," I lied through my teeth. Sarah and Robert didn't say anything for a minute as they contemplated this. They had a look between the two of them and shrugged before bringing the conversation back to my Pokémon and I, with them no longer quite as astounded at our group dynamic now that they knew my 'story.'

I breathed a sigh of relief after they bought the total fallacy and answered the rest of their questions with ease. I really hoped I didn't have to stay here long.

* * *

**A/N:** And there's Chapter 18. Fwew. I'm a little iffy about this chapter, since there's really not much action. I'm getting a little like Lucy - I wanna write some action! Unfortunately, time lines are a bitch and need to be written first. -pout- At any rate, hope you all enjoy it.

And, OHMYARCEUS, 121 reviews! Have I told you all how much I love you? And it's not just the reviewers - I love all those who +Alert the story/me, too, and don't you forget it! You guys rock. :)

**My Lovely Reviewers of Loveliness:** FirebirdXoX, Lily Vivi Nekoyama, Hironada, Drewbie, Lightening-Alchemist-Rini, IcyFeather12, I Have A Dictionary Here, Doggiefan, ChaoticXXHearts, Nevin Slate, Soulful Plain Strider, and Eeveelutionluvr!


	20. Nineteenth Nonane

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Nineteen**

"It's been a real pleasure," Robert shook my hand, his sweaty palms dampening my gloves uncomfortably.

"Same here," I semi-lied, wiping my hand across my shorts discretely.

"Make sure to drop by should you be in the area again," Sarah told me, the sentence coming out as more of a command than anything really. I nodded in a vague sort of acceptance and turned, heading off down the Route in a way I hoped didn't appear too rushed. But really, I just wanted to get away.

It had been a day and a half since I'd woken up in Hoenn's Weather Institute, bandaged and confused. After the scientists' explanations of how I'd gotten to their cozy little laboratory, I'd been settled in, quite forcefully might I add. I quickly learned that Sarah was much more authoritative than her male counterpart and didn't understand the word 'no.' This little personality trait made it quite difficult for me to escape their clutches, especially when it was something they really wanted.

Like the incident the morning previous when Robert had wanted to see every attack each member of my team knew. I tried to tell them that it wasn't exactly necessary – my Pokémon were of average strength, nothing too spectacular, and as such what was the point of recording it? But, of course, I was somehow 'convinced' by Sarah that it would be a good exercise for my pack and I should go along with it. I'm still thinking she had that Espeon of hers do a number on me.

I put my foot down when they wanted to run scientific experiments on Gabriel and Jesus, though. _That_ I most certainly wouldn't stand for. My absolute revoking of the idea gave the two a pause and they let it go, perhaps seeing my unwavering denial. As it was, every askance after that was geared more toward the familial interaction with my Pokémon and I decided that was good enough. After all, they _had_ given me shelter and care when I needed it, without even knowing who the hell I was, and I wasn't about to let that debt go unpaid.

However when I woke up this morning, sun finally shining and Copper screeching from the window, I knew it was time to head out.

"Don't be concerned of the color," Sarah had told me as she unbound the bandages from around my torso and arm. I had just spoken to the two scientists about my departure and they had reluctantly agreed, stating that they really ought to get back to their _funded_ research. Sarah had offered to unwrap my wound before I left since my rabies treatment was over with. I, of course, agreed. "The discoloration may not ever go away, I'm afraid."

I almost didn't want to look, remembering the awful mesh of purple and black that had woven itself into my skin. Reluctantly, I looked and was relieved to see that the decayed looking black spots had disappeared with the ointment. All that remained of my time as a rabies patient was the lavender like a fading bruise across my shoulder and arm, along with a fine set of bite marks on my bicep. _It could be worse_, I thought with a sigh. My arm didn't hurt anymore, for the most part; only when I walked into a room that was too cold and then a deep sort of ache formed. I ignored it as best I could.

The bridge looming ahead of me brought me out of my thoughts and I cautiously stepped onto the wooden slats. I slowly crossed the construction, not at all happy with the sounds of a rushing river beneath me or the fact that there were no rails or ropes that I could grab onto.

Man, do I hate heights.

It was a relief when I finally came to the other side of the bridge. I plopped down onto the grass a good twenty feet away from the ridge edge, leaning up against a small protrusion from the hillside I knew I'd have to climb. I pulled my PokéNav from my pocket and flipped through my growing list of contacts. I hesitated over both Morgan and Tiran's names. Morgan had yet to call me about the note I'd left and I was concerned about Tiran; he still hadn't called me back in the three days since we'd last talked and I didn't know what to think of the situation. As my finger hovered over the dial button, I heard a grunt from my right. Turning, I found a sight I hadn't been expecting to see.

"What the hell are _you_ doing all the way out here?" I asked the white haired boy.

He looked up, tilted his head a little, and said, "Lucy?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, it's Mary Poppins. Care for a spoon full of sugar or a musical transaction with animated creatures?"

At Brendan's completely confused face, I sighed.

"Uncultured heathen," I muttered before standing up and face my 'arch-nemesis.' "Been a while, Birch. Didn't think you'd forget me so soon."

He straightened himself out before pushing his shoulders back as if to pretend his little bout of absentmindedness never happened. "I didn't forget you, Maple," he shrugged. "Just didn't figure I'd be seeing you in these parts."

"Yes, well, the next Gym is along this Route, isn't it?" I asked sarcastically. No matter that we had 'made friends' something about the guy just rubbed me the wrong way. "I'm just curious what _you're_ doing here. Kind of far away from the Lab isn't it?"

"Dad wanted me to investigate the area for infected Pokémon," he explained. "We got word that they've been attacking more frequently…" his voice trailed off as he took a closer look at my exposed shoulder. The injury itched at the attention and I tried not to squirm. "Were you – ?"

"Yes," I replied tersely, not at all happy with this line of conversation.

Brendan seemed to sense that and backed off. "Well, I suppose since you've made it this far your Pokémon have come quite a ways since the last time we battled."

"Trying to say something, Birch?" I asked rhetorically, already pulling out a Pokéball. It had been almost a week since I'd had a proper battle and I was more than ready for one.

Smirking, the white haired teen pulled his own out. "We'll see who wins this time, Maple. Go, Lombre!"

The sombrero wearing Pokémon appeared, looking disinterestedly at me.

"Minnow!" I called out, my own blue Pokémon appearing from his ball. He hopped around excitedly for a moment before turning his attention to our opponent. I gave Brendan my own smirk. "Quick attack!"

"Mi-mi-mi-mi," the Minun muttered as he dashed towards the water type.

"Fury swipes!" Brendan told his Pokémon. The Lombre used his long arms to scratch at Minnow just as my mouse came up to him, knocking him away before the quick attack could land. Minnow was halfway back to where he started and I figured I should probably just pull out the big guns before too much damage could occur.

"Thunderbolt, Min," I told him. He nodded once and started to charge, little sparks coming from his cheeks. I was intensely glad at that moment for the TM Morgan had traded me; hopefully the attack would knock the Lombre out.

"Shoot," Brendan grunted. "Fake out!"

The half grass type went to smack my mouse with his long arms, trying to get him to flinch, but by that point Minnow had gained enough charge.

"Mi-NUN!" he growled, letting the electricity engulf both him and our opponent. The Pokémon was sent flying back and skid to a stop before his trainer. It tried to struggle back up, but it fainted.

"Good job, Lombre," Brendan told his Pokémon as it retreated to its Pokéball. He quirked a brow at my Pokémon, probably realizing that size didn't account for everything, and grabbed the second of three balls from his belt. "Slugma!"

"Minnow, return," I called, already knowing which Pokémon would be effective against the fire type. "Nonna, take care of him."

"Nuu," she grunted, landing her heavy body onto the ground.

"Magnitude!"

"Rock throw!"

Our attacks happened at the same time, Nonna slamming her body to the ground and sending a shockwave to the other fire type. The cascade of rocks the Slugma had thrown hit their target but seemed to bounce off of Nonna with no apparent effect. As the Magnitude hit its sluggish body, however, it toppled with a cry. _I am so thankful for type advantages_, I thought as Brendan recalled his Pokémon. He tugged out his last ball and I knew I had to be careful with this one. Marshtomp were part water _and_ part ground type, making them impervious to electric attacks. _Maybe… maybe Nonna's ground attacks will be enough_. I couldn't quite remember if the Pokémon was at a disadvantage to other ground types, but it was worth a shot. Roxie was the only Pokémon I had with a type advantage on it and she was far too weak to do anything about it.

"Maaaaarsh," the mud fish yelped as he was released.

"Dig," I commanded, hoping to keep Nonna away for as long as possible as I came up with some sort of strategy.

"Hold it," Brendan told his Pokémon, obviously having more a clue as what to do than I at that moment.

_Magnitude, tackle, ember. Those are the only other things she knows; what to use, what to use…?_ I thought hurriedly as she burst forth, hitting the Marshtomp from underneath. Unfortunately, it didn't appear to do too much damage and I cursed.

"Mud shot!" Brendan ordered. The blue Pokémon expanded its lungs and shot a strong current of mud at my Numel.

"Mel!" she cried as she went flying. She tumbled and fell back down the whole she'd previously dug. I took a worried step forward and stopped, my eyes darting back and forth between the two holes. When she didn't come out of either, I called.

"Nonna?" my voice twanged in panic. I took another step forward and darted over a few crags from her Magnitude. Dropping to my knees, I stuck my head into the closer hole and called again. "Nonna?"

"Try recalling her," Brendan told me, his voice coming from a few feet to my right. I looked up and nodded. Surely the device could get her out of her stuck position, right? I enlarged her ball and stuck my hand down the tunnel.

"Nonna, return!" the electric red light lit the tunnel briefly before dying off and I sighed. Standing up, I pulled the Pokéball from the tunnel. As I looked at it in the sunlight, my stomach dropped.

Where the red used to be, now there was only a dreary grey. I shook my head in denial, wordlessly mouthing no over and over again.

"Lucy," Brendan whispered. "I'm so – "

"No!" I cut him off, sending a cold green glare his way. I refused to cry in front of him. My back stiffened and I grabbed another ball with my opposite hand, still gripping Nonna's with my right. "Our battle isn't over yet."

"Luc – "

"Go, Jesus!" I called, sending my Kirlia out. Immediately, her large red eyes glistened over as she zeroed in on my emotions. She knew what had happened and she knew why I was doing this. _I won't let her die for a battle we didn't even win_. "Psychic!"

"Kirrr!" she intoned as she thrust her palms out, sending a wave of telekinetic energy at the Marshtomp.

"Take down," Brendan reacted instinctively, the protection of his Pokémon at the forefront of his mind. His Pokémon attempted to slam into my ballerina but didn't make it that far. Her first wave of Psychic pushed him back and before I knew it she'd already sent another and then another, all without command. After the last, his Pokémon was struggling to get up and I called her attacks to an end. I wouldn't do to Brendan what he'd accidentally done to me. He called back his Pokémon.

"Kir-li!" Jesus shouted, misted eyes slamming shut as she started to cry. It didn't matter that we'd won; we'd lost a member of our family. I walked up to her and pulled her into my arms. J was an emotional Pokémon, after all, and she felt the loss as acutely as I did. I could sense Brendan approaching and glared at him and tears formed into my eyes. He stopped his advance and instead took the direction of the bridge, leaving us to our misery. I didn't want an apology.

In my arms, I could feel Jesus heating up and I pulled back slightly as she started to glow. As I realized what was happening, it was a bittersweet moment. A moment later a weeping Gardevoir had her face tucked in my neck and her hands were clutching me like an infant.

"I know, J," I whispered brokenly. "I know."

* * *

As I approached Fortree, I still had Nonna's Pokéball in my hands. I had continuously run my fingers over it, not wanting to let it out of my sight. I hadn't lost one of mine in so long and I had nearly forgotten how much it hurt. How the pain tore me apart from the inside out. How all I could think of was Nonna's lackluster expression and drab personality. Somehow, though, that had made me love her all the more. The grey gleamed mockingly in the sunshine, taunting me with how happy I'd been this morning to see the light. Now it only served as a cruel smirk from Mother Nature. I looked up at the city when I finally got there. I didn't want to stop walking but the dense undergrowth of trees below the city in the sky forced me to pause. I looked around for a moment before reluctantly putting Nonna's Pokéball back in its compartment at my belt.

And then I climbed.

The wooden slats of the ladder felt smooth beneath my gloved hands. I tried to concentrate on their texture instead of the sky looming above me or the ground below. Anything to keep my mind off of Nonna and heights and everything that may cause me to fall. Tears pricked the back of my eyes and I knew I'd failed at keeping my mind as occupied as possible. My arms trembled as I forced myself to keep going up the ladder. I had to do something right today. I _had_ to. Losing Nonna was – I stopped that line of thought.

"Need some help up, Missy?" I heard from above me. Looking up, an elderly man had a hand descended to me and I realized I'd stopped climbing and was clinging to the top of the rungs, my arms clasped around it and the grain rubbing against them.

"Oh, t-thanks," I stuttered, much to my embarrassment, my thoughts having taken me guard off. He grasped my hand and tugged me up with a surprising amount of strength for an elderly man.

"There ye go," he smiled toothlessly at me. I gave him a half forced smile back.

"Uh," I said after looking around. I could see the tops of hundreds of trees surrounding us and it was making me dizzy. Before my nausea could get the better of me, I asked, "How do I get to Route 120 from here?"

"Oh, trainer are ye?" I nodded slowly, not wishing to make my vertigo any worse. "Just head down this line of platforms and you'll dead end at the other end of the city. Just be makin' sure you come back soon, yeah?" he chortled at me. I nodded again and quirked my lips in thanks before heading off in the direction he pointed me. I was thrilled to see that every walkway had a rope railing I could cling to and I refused to let go of them the entire time. Fortree was a small city, though, and I got through it in fifteen minutes. I'm sure for a normal person they could've gotten through it in five, but I practically crawled my way across the platforms, despite the strange looks I was getting from the townspeople.

I didn't have as difficult a time going down the next ladder as I had going up the first. As my feet landed with a soft _thump_ on the grass, I looked to my right and was thankful to see a walkway leading out of the maze of tree houses and towards Route 120. It wasn't that I was skipping the city entirely, just that I didn't want to stop moving. It seemed to help the soul deep ache I was feeling – or at least masking it with my rhythmic footfalls. I kicked dirt up into the warm air as I walked when I was accosted.

"Hey, you!" someone shouted from my left. I turned to look halfheartedly at the girl rushing towards me, parasol swinging above her head. She came to a stop next to me, panting for a brief moment before straightening herself out. "You!" she pointed.

"Yes, me," I agreed, furrowing my brows. "What do you want?" I asked bluntly, not in the mood for her enthusiastic antics.

"You must battle me," she said as though it were a fact.

I shook my head. "No." And then I walked away.

"What?" she shouted, sounding confused at my denial. I could hear her running behind me, likely trying to catch up, and I huffed. _I don't want to deal with her_, I scowled. Looking to my right, I saw some more of that twice damned too-tall grass from Route 118. Deciding between the rock and the hard place was never my forte, but I did it anyway and darted into the grass. I heard her stop at the edge and curse before turning around. I sighed and took a seat in the shadowed area that the grass created. I ran my hands through the back of my hair, in the part that my bandana didn't cover, and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath as I fingered Tilly's Pokéball.

How long had it been? I counted the days with pieces of my hair. _18 days. Two and a half weeks_, I thought. Had it really been that long? I could almost remember the way she was the day I caught her; shy and hesitant to attack in battle. She had come such a long way since then. And now it was Nonna – my poor, dumb little Nonna; loyal to the point of suffrage. I couldn't bring myself to be angry at Brendan; he hadn't meant to kill her, after all. _Accident, it was an accident_, I told myself. A rustling in the grass near me stirred me from my thoughts and I turned to glare, thinking it was the same girl from earlier.

It wasn't. Instead, a growl greeted me with the face of a Mightyena. I scrambled backwards, flashing back to three nights ago when the wild Linoone had attacked. The dog-like Pokémon took a threatening step forward and I hurriedly reasoned with myself. _No foaming at the mouth, no blood on its snout… not infected, Luce. Not infected._ My pulse calmed to a reasonable level and I felt back in my area of expertise. _You're a Pokémon trainer. Act like it._ I stood and lifted a ball from my belt.

"Vex, c'mon out," I called. My Combusken burst forth and glanced back at me with one eye, giving me a nod of understanding. Again, I wondered if Pokémon could hear while in their balls. I made a mental note to tell the others as soon as possible about Nonna's passing. I was far from looking forward to the discussion, for as little time as I'd had her, Nonna had been family and not one of us would take the news easily. "Vex, double kick."

Before the dark type knew what was coming, my Pokémon attacked and the canine was down. I called Vex back, knowing the Mightyena wouldn't be attacking anytime soon in its damaged condition. I turned to leave the grassy area but paused when I saw the Mightyena struggling to get up. She whimpered and I couldn't help but feel ashamed of myself. Did Nonna look like this in her last moments? Hurt, confused, and afraid? Could I really leave a Pokémon, defenseless by my own actions, to fend for itself? I knew that, regularly, I wouldn't be having these thoughts. I knew that it probably had pack mates around here somewhere that would take care of it. But the sentimental, depressed part of me kept whispering these treacherous thoughts and I found myself listening.

"I always wanted a Mightyena," I said quietly to myself. Hell, a Poochyena was the first Pokémon I set out for and my attempts were always foiled. It seemed Irony wanted to pay me a visit, and who was I to refuse?

Looking down at my belt, though, I realized that there was no room left. Except… except for Nonna's slot. I hesitated before grabbing her ball and palming it between my hands. I reached a hand up and untied the length of chord in my hair, walking over to the Mightyena and squatted down next to… her, I realized. "Just give me time for this," I told the wild Pokémon. She growled faintly and I tied the other ball to the leather before braiding it back into my hair. It was difficult and the added weight tugged on my scalp. I resigned myself to buying more chord soon, knowing that I didn't want this to happen again and understanding that it was inevitable. I turned to the Mightyena again and pulled a Pokéball from my back. "Don't fight, okay."

"Yena," she growled again but closed her yellow eyes. I tossed the container without a word and it dinged.

"Welcome to the family, Callie."

* * *

**A/N:** Would you look at that? Chapter Nineteen and already on day 26. And, yes, I actually went back and measured out the days. Can't believe Lucy's only been there a month. Hn. Anyway. I have good news, especially for all those who notice my little grammar mistakes. Hopefully soon, I will have a BETA! The first in my illustrious (ha, right) career. I'm thinking this will make reading a little easier for us all around. I can read my chapters only so many times over before getting sick of them, after all. So the lovely **Hironada** has asked for the position. I'm very excited.

**At any rate, to my reviewers: **Hironada, Drewbie, Lily Vivi Nekoyama, FirebirdXoX, Nevin Slate, Lightening Alchemist Rini, IcyFeather12, Doggiefan, ChaoticXXHearts, I have a dictionary here, and Soulful Plain Strider.

Also, very important: I want to give a shout out to **Drewbie** because he gifted me with fan art for the story. How awesome is he? Link on my profile, since FFN doesn't allow links inside the story format itself. It's fantastic; you should all go take a look. ;)


	21. Twentieth Twilight

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Twenty:**

Eventually, I pulled myself out of the grass and headed back to Fortree. I traveled even slower through the town this time and glanced in the shops that I passed by, but didn't dare let go of my safety rope to enter them. There was a woodworker on the far side of town and a fortune teller just next to him. If I were in a better mood, I probably would have stopped. As it was, I didn't, and merely headed back to the Pokémon Center at the entering edge of the city limits. I spent the night on an empty couch, listening to the overhead thunder and pellets of rain hitting the rooftop.

I didn't sleep much.

Before I knew it other trainers were waking up and the nurse on duty opened up shop. "Thanks," I muttered to Joy as she handed me back seven little Pokéballs, one a bit shinier than the rest. She gave me a bubbly grin and a, 'I hope to see you soon!' in return. I didn't bother faking a smile and just turned on my heel to leave. My shoes hit damp ground as I stepped out of the building and into the world once more; the smell of pine and oak reached me and for a brief second, I was soothed. I stood there for a minute, trying to think about what I needed to do today – and failing quite miserably.

Should I go to the Gym?

Should I call Tiran?

Should I call Morgan?

I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration, rubbing a palm over my bandana'd head. But, as it had been every time I tried to close my eyes last night, scenes from yesterday's battle burned themselves onto my eyelids and I had to snap them back open. I cursed and clenched my fists, my mind made up. I would head back to Route 120 and train. It pained me to admit it, but if felt as though I was neglecting my Pokémon, Roxie the Oddish especially. She was hardly ever out and I almost never used her in any battle; none since Fallarbor Town, really. If she had been trained up to the level she _should_ have been at – a level my team could be proud of – then I could have used her in the battle and I wouldn't have had the problems I did. I wouldn't have been at a disadvantage.

_I wouldn't have lost Nonna._

With a resolved frown, I climbed the ladder, faltering halfway up due to slick rungs and continuing on slower. The wooden flooring of the treetop city was slippery with the leftover water from last night's rain and I turned one eye on the paneling and one eye on the rope in my hand. I was thankful once more when my feet hit semi-solid earth and I marched through the mud to the too-tall grass. I hesitated before entering, something indefinable irking me. Once I was securely lodged within the growth of verdure, I tugged out the second to last Pokéball on my belt.

"All right, Rox," I knelt, speaking to the little, blue, armless thing. She looked up at me with large, red eyes – innocent of the gore my other Pokémon had witnessed. I sighed before continuing. "We are going to train you up, got it?"

"Oddish!" she bounced, smiling. I was glad to see she was enthusiastic because with the amount she needed to grow, today would be grueling. After a moment, I frowned.

"Roxie?" She stopped hopping and looked at me quizzically. "Do you know why we're doing this?" I needed to know if she knew what had transpired yesterday; Nonna's death still weighed heavy on my mind and while I was near certain that Pokémon could hear within their balls, I needed to make sure. She blinked at me, perplexed. I sighed and closed my eyes briefly. _Perhaps it's just Vexyl_, I thought. He was a fierce Pokémon and observant to boot; it wouldn't surprise me if he surmised it all on his own. Jesus, I knew, could at least read my mind. "There was… an accident in battle yesterday," I told her. "Nonna didn't make it."

"Odd?" she sounded confused. I gave her a moment and before I knew it I had a sniffling plant in my arms. I smoothed out the leaves on her head and murmured to her. Truth be told, Roxie and I were not close, Pokémon-Master bond having not been strongly established, and I was unsure just how hard she was taking the news. Had she really known Nonna well at all? Or was my grass type still a child and taking death harshly as any simple minded being would do.

Eventually, she calmed down and I concluded that we both needed to do something to get the situation off of our minds. I didn't want to think about what had happened; I just wanted to whole thing to disappear. It wouldn't though, and battling was the next best thing.

"Absorb!" I ordered.

"Odd-_ish_!" Roxie said, glowing faintly. The Marill we had been facing fainted, unable to withstand the effective grass move. I smirked, our training going quite well. We'd been at these Pokémon tête-à-têtes for about four hours and already I could see that she was becoming quite the battler. _The ability was there, I just had to bring it out_, I realized. And then I became ashamed; I had practically ignored her for her more obviously powerful teammates. But all it took was a little strategy and the Oddish was right up there with them. I wouldn't let her be overlooked again.

"Good job, Roxie," I bent over and patted her on the head. She beamed up at me and I brushed the leftover Sleep powder from my hands, careful not to breathe any in. I had made that mistake the first hour in, having hugged her when she learned it and being knocked out for my troubles. I had woken half an hour later with no damage done, but the caution was firmly set up in my mind.

As I heard a rustling from behind me, I turned, hoping it was another Marill or perhaps a Mightyena – a Pokémon she had quickly become adept at fighting, with them being so common in the area. The grass parted slowly and Roxie got in front of me, ready and willing to fight off any wild Pokémon that may have wandered across our path. As it turned out, it was no wild Pokémon. Instead, it was indefinitely worse.

"'Oo are you?" the man said.

I could see his bearded mouth move, but the hood he wore over his head obscured the rest of his face. The red of his tunic clashed eerily with the vibrant green of the grass behind him and I took in a sharp, surprised breath. He was a Magma Member – someone I had most certainly not expected to see, especially way out here. My automatic instinct was to call for an attack from Roxie, but I held myself in check. _Technically_, he had done nothing wrong. And while he may have worn the Magma get up, they were not an illegal group, just a raving cult that believed in destroying the planet for the sake of land. I was at an impasse over the situation I found myself in, but he seemed to make up my mind for me.

"Ahh," he said, a look of understanding crossing his face. It became harsh in a second. "Yer that girlie from the mountain top."

I narrowed my eyes at him. Obviously I didn't recognize him with exception to the uniform he wore, but he seemed to have known me. It wasn't terribly surprising. After all, when the Mt. Chimney battle raged, I was the only one in something neither pirate-y nor devilish in theme.

"And what if I am?" I asked, a challenge even to my own ears. The sensible side of me knew that I shouldn't be picking fights with cult-driven lunatics, but the gamer side of me – the protagonist side of me, Stephanie might have sad – was itching to defeat this morally wrong man. It was almost too easy to let the latter half of me win. The man grinned horribly at me, showing off yellowing, crooked teeth.

"Well then if ya are, I'm just gonna have to show you what it means to disrespect Maxie and Team Magma," he sneered. I didn't say anything and instead just tilted my head over at Roxie, who jumped in front of me just as the man let his Pokéball fly.

"Sharp-_edo!_" the finned Pokémon grimaced. I was tempted to smirk; what kind of idiot tosses out a Pokémon _weakest_ against his opponent?

"Poison powder," I commanded. Roxie puffed up before spraying down the water-type with the toxin. It coated the slick skin of the Sharpedo and I waited for it to take effect. I frowned when the Grunt started laughing.

"That rough skin of his'll keep off your pathetic little _powder_, girlie," the man cackled at me. "Crunch!" The Pokémon was faster than I gave it credit for and somehow managed to get to Roxie before I could call a command.

"Edo, edo," the thing grumbled, layering it's thick, razor teeth about Roxie's small form.

"Odd!" she cried out, falling back a few feet after the jagged set of teeth released her. She was bleeding from a few of the marks and I clenched my fists in anger. _C'mon, Roxie, you can do this. I'm not gonna underestimate you again_. No matter what I told myself, a sinking feeling filled me and I tried to fight through it. She needed this one-on-one, trained Pokémon battle experience – to prove to both her and me that she was just as strong as the others. _You can do it, Roxie._

"Absorb!" I called, hoping that the extra strength she would zap from the shark would help her out. They both glowed faintly green and Roxie's bleeding stopped but the battle was far from over.

"Rage!" the Grunt commanded.

"Absorb again, Rox," I told her. They both started to glow again, but the Sharpedo landed his attack before Roxie could finish hers.

"Dishh," she moaned, lying unmoving on the ground. I darted forward, trying to get to her and inspect her gashes, but the shark beat me to it and slammed her into the ground further.

"Roxie!" I yelled, voice cracking.

_No, no, no – I can't lose another. Please, not so soon_, I mentally cried. I fumbled for her ball and my hand shook as she was absorbed into the light. I clutched the shiny orb to me, unknowing of its color. My quivering fingers latched onto another ball, trying to ignore the jeers coming from the Grunt.

"Not so tough, are ya girlie? Little chit like you ain't as strong as you think, eh eh?" he guffawed.

I narrowed my eyes and tossed the new Pokéball, scowling at the distasteful excuse of a man.

"Min," Minnow growled, already on all fours and sparks at his cheeks. The Grunt let out a satisfied smirk, easily believing that my Minun was weak due to his small stature – a mistake many of my previous opponents had made.

"Minnow, they hurt Roxie," I told my Pokémon. He bristled and darted towards the two, electricity charging through the air and already hitting the finned Pokémon by the time a secondary Quick attack landed. I may not have known much about my Oddish, but I knew that she and Minnow were as close as could be and neither would take the news well should the other be hurt. As expected, the emotionally stimulated Thunderbolt knocked the monster into what may have been unconsciousness and my mouse darted back to my side.

"You little bitch!" the Magma Member roared. He called back his Pokémon and practically hurled the next ball at us. A Mightyena appeared. "You're gonna pay for that!" Spittle flew from his mouth and I glared.

"Again!" I told Minnow. He charged and started racing to the dark type. As he attacks hit, my opponent shouted, "Bite!"

"Yena!" the dog roared, chomping down on Minnow while he was still close. I let a hiss of air escape me; these Pokémon were a lot more powerful than I thought they were. I tried to recall my Minun before any more damage could happen, but I was a split second too late.

"Frustration!" the Grunt told his Pokémon, sadistic smile in place. The dark type smashed its body on top of Minnow's, howling and pushing its claws sharply into his defenseless belly and smashing him to the ground. A fan of blood splayed from the little yellow mouth and I felt frozen.

"No!" I screamed, thrusting my hand up, ball clenched in it. "Return! Return, Minnow!"

"Minnn," he whimpered, faint sparks at his cheeks. Finally – _finally_ – the red light reached him, just as he released a Spark, his final move. It proved to be the Mightyena's undoing and it too fainted.

I fell to my knees, not caring to see what the Grunt did. Instead, I focused on the two Pokéballs in my hands. They were both an ugly grey, their usual gleam missing in the face of my loss. My shoulders shook and I hunched over my hands cradled in my lap, dry sob escaping my throat harshly. Three – I'd lost three in two days. _Three._

_Nonna. Roxie. Minnow. Three – my family – three_, the words kept repeating in my head, disbelieving and unendingly sad. _Three – I lost three. My family, my family…_

"You bitch, you see what you did to my Pokémon!" the Grunt roared at me, shaking my heaving shoulders and bringing my back to reality for a split second of time.

I could feel the tears on my face and the way my nose ran, how my fingers ached, white as I gripped the Pokéballs. He raised a covered fist and went to hit me when I reacted, anger flashing through me so intensely I was terrified but unwilling to stop the emotion. I snarled and jumped at him, sending us both to the rolling onto the muddied ground. I tried to hit him in my anger-clouded judgment, realizing too late that it would be impossible to do with the enlarged Pokéballs in my hands. He rolled us over and said something, tone harsh and perhaps threatening, before jumping off me and running in a direction I didn't even bother to recognize.

I didn't hear him, my blood rushing too loudly in my ears. I didn't care, my mind was elsewhere.

_Three – Nonna, Roxie, Minnow. My family, my Pokémon – I lost three!_ My mind wailed. I curled up on my side, the ache inside me trying to claw its way out of my stomach and up my throat. My face contorted in a mockery of the agony I was feeling, an emotion that simply could not be physically expressed in true clarity.

I cradled the two spheres in my hands, raising them up to my chin before dropping them as though they burned and bringing my hands to my head. I pushed my face as close as possible to my chest and pulled my knees to my stomach, not caring that I was getting mud all over my clothes or that I could barely breathe with the dirt smothering me. I didn't care, how could I?

_I lost three_.

_Nonna, Roxie, Minnow._

My heart was breaking, shattering into a thousand pieces. My team – _my family_ – was seven. And now it was down by three. How could this happen. _How could I let this happen?_

I barely recognized the feeling of frozen glass hitting me, raining down from the sky above. The too-tall grass surrounded me like a nest and I could only see the small oval of light from directly above. Glass hit me again and I vaguely realized it was hail. Suitable, I thought flittingly, how _now_ the weather would acquiesce to my mood. How _now_ it would rain and hail and be a tumult of grey clouds like the swirl of emotions that raged inside of me, echoing sharply off my soul.

And then I was angry again. I was angry and standing and crying, yelling and cursing at the wind that whipped around my face, lashing the tall grass against my arms and stinging my cheeks.

"Why?" I yelled to the heavens, icy chunks bouncing off me as I spread my arms. "I'm trying as hard as I can – I don't know what you want!" I sobbed, shaking my head. "I do everything I can to be whatever it is you want me to be – I try to be a good trainer and I make a family and then what you do you do?" my voice bit out, bitterness tasting severe on the back of my tongue. "You take them from me," my voice cracked with the raw emotion. I shut my eyes, salty tears squeezing between my lashes, and falling to my knees again. "I don't… I don't understand," I whispered, rubbing my forearm under my glasses and across my eyes. My hand knocked against something and I looked down to find the necklace I had made in a time that felt so long ago. My bitterness surged forth again, merely masking the depression that swelled up inside me.

I yanked on the ball hard, untying the knot at the back of my neck with the force, and I threw it at the pile that was forming a few feet away. I reached up and snatched the bandana from my head, the cloth more brown and worn than the vibrant red it had started as. I hastily unbraided the leather chord from my quickly dampening locks and tugged it the rest of the way before sending the two minimized balls careening to the swell. They clanked together mid-air, a metallic _tink_ pervading my heavy breathing and the sounds of thunder several miles off.

I pushed myself back several feet and curled up with my hands around my knees, my face on top of them. A fresh wave of tears engulfed me and I just couldn't take it anymore.

"I don't understand what you want from me," I said to whoever might have been listening. "I'm not – I'm not a trainer," my voice broke again, a hiccup breaking through. "I don't know what to do…" I admitted. I had never lost so many people – Pokémon – that I cared so deeply for at one time. Other than letting the unrelenting sadness grip me tight, I was at a loss on how to make it all go away. How do you recover from losing three loved ones within two days of each other?

How?

You don't.

I shuddered and looked up at the sky again. The hail had stopped and biting coldness was now seeping into my clothes, making me feel as frozen outside as I did on the inside. With a look over at the pile of grey Pokéballs – five of them, _five_ – I turned my back to them and let my shaking fingers wander over my belt in search of comfort. I couldn't call Jesus out – not now, not while I was like this. It would do neither of us any good. I tugged out the first on my line, my strongest, my starter. I hesitated before releasing him, unsure if I truly wanted him to know what had happened so soon after. But I did it anyway, because I was selfish, and I wanted the warmth and familiarity my fire type would provide.

"Vex," I whispered, looking at him beseechingly, begging him to understand my pain.

I didn't need to. He cawed one long, mournful note before sitting right down in the mud with me, pressing his heated feathers against my shoulders. I curled up tighter and tried to hold in the tears. But as twilight came and the day settled into night, I relented and another wave began.

* * *

**EDIT: 05/10/2011** - fixed the "Roxie got poisoned" problem.


	22. Twenty First Turbulence

**Red Tide**

**Chapter Twenty One:**

It was late when Vexyl convinced me to return to the Pokémon Center. I wasn't sure of the time, but I must have been out there for a very long while, if the dawning light of morning was any indication. My clothes were soaked though and my fingertips were starting to turn from blue to purple with the cold. Vexyl himself was shivering and I felt a pang as I returned him to his Pokéball. _Yet another failure to keep your family safe_, a treacherous voice taunted in my head. Vaguely, I wondered if I was developing some sort of sadomasochistic schizophrenia.

But, as with everything else, I ignored it.

I fell several times on the floorboards of Fortree, my knees banging hard against the wood, but I didn't really feel it. I let my fist bang down upon the locked doors of the Center loudly, not particularly caring if I woke up any of the other trainers. Vex had all but ordered me back here and I was inclined to appease him. With a click, the locking mechanism came undone and the door creaked open.

"Oh!" the pink haired RN gasped upon seeing me.

I had to have looked a sight. Mud had coated me on nearly every surface – the backs of my legs, my shoes, smears on my shirt, gloves, and bag – and where that hadn't reached the icy rain had soaked me through, making my red shirt heavy and bogged down. I had tiny, red welts from where the hail had hit me and my bandana was missing. I refused to think about the five grey Pokéballs I was lacking, each with more significance to me than any glossy, new ones would ever have.

_Jeddy, Tilly, Nonna, Roxie, Minnow,_ the voice mocked me cruelly, cackling.

"May I come in?" I asked, voice raw and cracking from the hours I'd spent in the cold; the hours I'd spent sobbing.

"Oh! Oh, yes, of course," Joy said worriedly, ushering me through the door. She pushed me to a back room, passed all the half-awake trainers I'd roused with my racket, and sat me on a chair in the sterile room. The walls were whiter than any I'd ever seen; a sink sat on one side and a small cot on the other. I took all this in with blank eyes. Joy was busying herself by rummaging through my bag for dry, clean clothes, after kicking on the heating system. She came up with my white shirt and my bike shorts, the only things untouched by the rain water. Without a word, she helped me dry off and change. "I'll go throw these in the wash in a moment. But first I want you to tell me what on earth you were thinking!" she turned on me, hand on hip and finger waving. "Running around at five in the morning, in the pouring rain! It's freezing out there; what were you even doing without a coat?" she chided. I didn't say anything. She frowned at my pitifully form and her eyes softened ever so slightly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but know that I am always here should you need an ear." She sighed when I didn't respond and mumbled something to herself. "You just lay down over there and I'll check in on you in a while."

She left and I was grateful for the silence. The heater had finally warmed up the room and my body started to shiver violently, finally realizing that I was cold. I curled up under the thin blanket on the bed and closed my eyes.

Sleep was a long time coming.

* * *

"Unnng," I grumbled, curling tighter into the warmth the blankets provided. Something made a noise from behind me and I reluctantly turned over, opening my eyes. A blurry pink form greeted me, setting a pile of black and red onto the counter across from me.

"Shh," the pink thing hushed me, pulling the blankets back up around my shoulders. "Go back to sleep."

The warmth and quiet lulled me back to the darkness creeping around the edges of my eyes. I didn't protest, and let unconsciousness take me.

* * *

The second time I awoke, I stayed awake. I grabbed at my glasses on the nightstand and rubbed the grit out of my eyes before slipping the spectacles on. To be honest, I was surprised I had gotten any sleep at all. Sleep may be a relative term, though. I didn't dream – I didn't have nightmares – and it was the kind of sleep that an unconscious person gets, still mentally exhausted when they awake, but physically fine. I sat up in bed and turned to dangle my legs over the side of the bed. My limbs still felt heavy from the doze I'd been in and I couldn't seem to stop shaking from pent up yawns. The door to my right opened.

"Finally awake, I see," Nurse Joy commented, bustling in with fresh sheets in her hands. "You've been asleep for almost a day now!"

"Wha…?" I let out an involuntary exhalation, begrudgingly satisfied by the relief it brought.

"Well you've been asleep since yesterday morning, of course," the pink haired woman informed me, motioning for me to get off the bed. I obliged and she started to strip it, piling the dirty bedding on the floor. "Let's see; you got here five in the morning and it's nearly four in the afternoon now, so you've been in bed for… oh, thirty five hours!" she sounded amazed, pausing in her work to look over her shoulder at me.

"So, I've been asleep for a day and a half?" I croaked with my unused voice, face blank. I couldn't really bring myself to be too overwhelmed by the information.

"Yes," she nodded vigorously, nearly knocking her white nurse's hat from its perch on her head. "You really must have been tired from whatever it was you were doing…" she trailed off. I could tell she was trying to get me to open up to her and I wasn't about to fall for it.

_Don't think about it, don't think, don't think_, a voice urged in my head. It sounded a lot like the nervous, scared version of me that came out on when I felt like this. I was saved from answering by a rebellious stomach. I wasn't really hungry, but my body demanded sustenance and the gleam in Nurse Joy's eyes said she would too.

"Come now, we'll get you and your Pokémon fixed up," she nudged me out the door and picked up my belt from the counter. "You just go on up there and get some food; I'll take care of your Pokémon."

I headed up the steps slowly, hand tracing the wall lightly. I got in line and got food, vaguely remembering that the last time I'd had food must have been when I'd left the Weather Institute. It felt like years ago now, but logically I knew it had only been three days ago, half of it spent sleeping. When I'd last been at the Center I had forgone food, too upset over –

_Nonna_.

My steps faltered on the way to a table before I righted myself. I completely halted any train of thought, focusing on the plate in front of me. Instead, I tasted the yeastiness of the bread and the cold slices of meat and cheese, the crunch of the lettuce and the soft flesh of tomatoes. My gut rumbled pleasantly as it was filled and I took as much time as possible to do so. I knew as soon as I was finished I'd go back to thinking about the chaotic turn my life had taken on in the last few days. I had to grieve, but I just didn't want to. I was already feeling their loss so acutely that I didn't want to face it should the pain grow exponentially.

At some point, more trainers trickled in. I was done with my sandwich and just people watched with blank eyes. A few of the younger trainers kept glancing nervously at me and I had a flash of déjà vu. Back in Lavaridge, a lifetime ago, there had been a boy at a table, by himself in the back. He'd had expressionless eyes, filled too deep with something I couldn't comprehend at the time – that none of us could understand. But now I knew exactly how he felt.

My family had been rent in two – half of them were gone, and all that was left were the ones who would be hit the hardest.

Jesus would be devastated and plagued with a level of sadness only she would ever truly understand. I would need to watch her, to take care of her more so than the others. She was just coming into her newly evolved form and already under new challenges with it; this destruction of our tight-knit family would be yet another thing on her small little shoulders and I wasn't sure just how volatile she would be.

Vexyl, I had already learned, would be invaluable during this time – for all of us. He was strong when the rest of us just _couldn't_ be. Somehow, he understood my failings as a trainer and accepted them, though I couldn't comprehend the unwavering loyalty he'd showed me thus far. Gabriel would mourn, in his own way, sticking to my shadow and hissing at any passer-by. Copper and Callie… they were wild cards in this. I'm sure that she would feel no true loss at family members she'd never met, that she would never get to know. But I didn't know her personality or how feral she would be. I would deal with her at some point, but now didn't feel like the right time.

I sighed deeply, my mind made up. It was time to tell them.

An hour later found me nestled within a patch of woods alongside Route 120. I wasn't quite ready to go back into the underbrush of grass and instead settled for a copse not far from the path. My hand was at my belt, palming one of the balls. I enlarged it and held it up to my face, inspecting it – hoping an answer would jump out at me. Was I really ready for this? _Would I ever be?_ Reluctantly, I tossed the Pokéball at the ground in front of me. The expected white light flashed and before I knew it, J was in front of me, back to me. I could see her thin shoulders trembling but no sound emerged. I walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, still unused to having her at the height of my shoulder.

"Gardev!" she suddenly burst out. She spun, her dress whirling with her, and faced me. Her expression was beyond sadness, beyond anything that could be named with just a single, insignificant word. Her large, ruby colored eyes were filled to the misted with tears and overflowing. Her face was contorted in misery and her hands were clenched together at her stomach, as if she felt a physical pain from the loss. She may have been, too; she was carrying the burden of her own pain along with mine and between the two of us, who knows what kind of reaction that could create. At that point, I did the only thing I could do. I curled my arms around her shoulders and let her sob her despair into my neck; I was suddenly reminded of a younger Jesus, when I had just started to really get to know her.

_Master?__ She asked softly, her voice a gentle alto that was laced with pain._

"_Yes, J?" I responded, tilting my head down to look at her._

_Why does it hurt so?_

"_Because you loved her," I said, tears pricking the backs of my eyes but not falling._

_Love?__ She inquired as she rested her finned head against my side._

"_Love, ballerina, is hard to explain," I started, looking over to my playing Oddish and Minun. "It's not a conscious decision, nor is it anything you can stop. It makes your heart burst with happiness at a mere glance and can be felt for anything."_

_I loved Tilly?__ She whispered, tugging at her fins, a nervous habit she had never outgrown._

"_Yes, you loved Tilly. We all did, though I think Vexyl, you and I especially," I said. "She was our family; I raised her and the two of you knew her best. She loved you, too," I told her._

_She did?_

"_Of course," I nodded._

With that, something unrecognizable slotted quietly into place within me. I could compose myself – just enough to set us down against a tree. I leaned her up against me the same way I always did when we rested together, only with her head on my shoulder instead of my side, since she was too big for that now. The familiar position seemed to comfort her and I was glad for it.

_Acceptance_, I realized faintly as I smoothed my hand over Jesus' head. Acceptance was what I felt, what helped me to help J. I was relieved; it was selfish of me, but that small, miniscule bit of acceptance would let me bypass the anger and unrelenting sadness of grief. I knew J would still be feeling it so acutely, but at least this way, I could help. At least this way, we weren't both in pain. And a part of me was glad it was me. I tried to reason with myself – that with this I could help the others, too – but I knew I was just relieved not to have to feel the same infinite ache that the others would.

It was wrong of me, but I was only human. _Reason three why I'm not the protagonist_, I thought bitterly. I hugged Jesus to me tighter.

* * *

The days passed by in a sluggish blur of grey and cold dampness. At some point, I'd called each of my Pokémon out separately to explain what had happened. Gabriel had reacted as I expected him too: he'd taken the news with a solemn silence, but clung to my legs and hissed at anything foreign that came too close. I told Copper next and she had let out several long, mournful roars. The rain seemed to come down harder and she curled her elongated body around me as tightly as she dared. It was as close to a hug as she could manage and I stroked her scales comfortingly.

I told Callie last and she took the news without a bat of her lash. I hadn't expected anything more, but was glad for the composure she showed. _Not feral_, I thought. She provided a fair bit of comfort to me, on the other hand. I used to have a dog, when I was seven or eight – before the triplets and my parents' divorce – and getting the chance to run my fingers through her long top fur was more comforting to me than I had ever thought it would be. For a little while, I stayed out in the woods, my eyes closed and ignoring my surroundings; I pretended I was eight again, playing in the large park a few blocks away from my house, the sun shining merrily down upon me. For a little while, I pretended that nothing was wrong; that I'd never killed anything, that my family was intact, that this whole thing was a dream, as I first thought it was.

A part of me died when I imagined that, though, and I didn't do it again.

I spent several long days just being with Vex, J, and Gabriel. We wandered anywhere – the forest, the empty Route, and even into a few of the shops. I wasn't much occupied with anything they were selling, though I did make a note of the woodshop for Tiran. I couldn't bring myself to call him or any of the others, though I was tempted to ring Morgan on more than one occasion. If there was anyone here who would know exactly what I was feeling, then it would be him. He'd lost his entire team, bar one, and somehow survived. I was once again stunned by his will to carry on. Had I lost them all – had my entire family been wiped in a single day, as his had – I surely would not have survived the devastation.

The loss of three was already cutting me deep; I couldn't have taken any more and continued on.

As it was, I couldn't bring myself to start training again. When I plucked a Pokéball from my belt with the intent to battle, my hands shook and my stomach rolled unpleasantly. I would drop the ball and have to take several deep breaths before I could pick it up again. I tried many times, but each was as disastrous as the last. Images of my battles with Brendan and the Team Magma Grunt would flash uninvited through my head and I'd panic, if just for that split second. It was enough to keep me from training and to be honest, I wasn't trying that hard.

But after many long days – in which each of us started healing, and Jesus no longer cried every time she looked at me – Vexyl had apparently had enough.

"Combus! He shouted one day. It was perhaps early afternoon and the four of us were seated in the same grove I'd brought Jesus to. The three of us gave startled looks at my fire type.

"Vex, what's wrong?" I asked, tilting my head. I looked him over, but he didn't seem to have any outward signs of injury.

"Busken!" he flailed his feathered arms, glaring at me and standing to his full height of barely 2'11". I raised a brow at his curious behavior.

_He is unhappy_, Jesus supplied, not taking her eyes off her teammate.

"Yeah, got that," I stated.

_He thinks you are being… _she paused, hesitancy tainting her voice.

"What, J?"

_Weak, he thinks you are being weak_, she finally said. _And by extension, you are making him – and us – weak, as well._

I narrowed my eyes in thought before looking over at my starter. "Is that true, Vex? Do you think I'm being weak?"

"Combusken-busk," he nodded stiffly. I clenched my teeth.

"You shouldn't talk to me like that, I'm still your trainer," I warned him. It wasn't often that I was reminded of the strong-willed nature of fire types, but I was always wary of it. I didn't like pulling the Master card, but he couldn't be acting like this, especially not now.

"Bus-KEN!" he shouted, gesticulating. It wasn't hard to see what his meaning was. _Then act like it!_

"I'm – I'm trying, all right," I all but spat at him. I stood up, leaving Jesus to lean back against the tree as she looked on. "It's not easy – "

"Com!" he interjected. I glared and paced in front of him, running a hand through my uncapped hair. I tugged on the black locks.

"I lost three!" I spun to face him, chest heaving with irrational anger. "_I_ lost three. I raised them and it was – it was _my_ fault," I swallowed. I scrubbed a hand over my face. "How can I start training when I don't know if I can keep you safe?"

"Combus," he replied flippantly, crossing his arms and turning his face away.

_He says that you will never know, should you act the way you are_, J told me. I gave her a look – I wanted the real words, not her obviously edited version. She sighed. _"Those who are weak, stay weak. I refuse to be part of such a team."_

I stilled, my anger dissipating and my shoulders slumping. "If – if that's what you think is best for you," I looked at the ground. My hands shook at my sides. I felt so tired – mentally exhausted. I'd already failed the ones we'd lost, and now Vex was leaving me, too? I was snapped out of my shame when felt something plow into me. "Oof!" I tumbled to the ground on my back, my attacker still on top of me.

"Busken-bus!" Vexyl yelled at me, fire burning in his eyes. I could feel the heat rolling off him in waves, turning the cool air around us hot. He smacked his feathered hands against me, angry and defiant. It didn't really hurt, but the action was startling. "Combusken! COMBUSKEN!"

_He – he says,_ Jesus stammered in my head. _He says that you are a fool. That he is family – that you are family, that __we__ are family – that you don't leave family behind. You would really let him go, would you, Master?_ She whimpered in my head. And suddenly, I knew what was going on.

Vex was hurting just as much as the rest of us, he just didn't let it out. But without that release that crying brings, his grief built up and up and up until – this. I reached up and wrapped my arms around him, forcing him down. He struggled against me weakly before giving in. _I had forgotten just how young he was_, I thought as he curled into my chest. I could feel the cold, wet soil seeping through my clothes but I remained. He was strong for all of us all the time; I could be strong for him now.

"No, no I wouldn't let you go," I said. I tightened my arms around him to reaffirm the statement. "I couldn't do this without you, Vex."

After a while, my starter demanded to be let up. I let him go and we all settled down around the tree again, calmer and more at ease with each other than we had been in a while. I talked to them a little about my own family and the many differences between this world and the other. Jesus seemed amazed that there were no Pokémon – and subsequently no Trainers – while Gabe and Vex plotted between themselves. I was scared to contemplate what sort of world domination they were concocting, and glad that they would not be visiting the other world. _Who knows what sort of chaos they would cause_, I thought, amused. Beside me, Jesus giggled at my thought.

Not long after that, a growl came from the trees across from us. We all stopped and looked up, on edge – me and Vex especially. After our fight, a battle was the last thing I wanted to happen. But, sure enough, a large Mightyena came out from the shadows, yellow eyes glinting. Vexyl immediately stood up, giving demanding me a look over his shoulder. He was right, I knew – I couldn't avoid this. _At least I can trust him to know what he's doing, if nothing else_.

"All right, Vexyl," I stood. My hands trembled, as they always did, but having Jesus and Gabriel behind me, protected, made me feel better about this. My Combusken could handle himself.

The Mightyena lunged. "Yeeen!" it growled, teeth going for one of Vex's legs.

"Ember, dodge!" I commanded. Vex let out a mouthful of flames and the dog yelped. Strong legs easily kept Vex out of harm's way and he waited for my second command.

"Double kick!" I ordered. I had to remind myself that we had the advantage here, that he would be fine against this wild Mightyena.

"Mi-yena!" the dark type roared, pouncing at my starter. Vexyl wasn't fast enough and before I knew it, he'd been hit and the two tumbled back into the trees and out of my line of sight. Panic gripped me and I ran after them.

"VEXYL!"

* * *

**A/N:** Alas, Chapter Twenty One cometh. A third sad chapter in a row. Hard to write, probably hard to read (you'll have to tell me on that one). It took me quite a while to write this, due to getting stalled. Writing out J's reaction was difficult, but I hope it came out as in character as possible. Also, I found a forum (I say found, but Leafbarrett from Deviant Art turned me on to it) specifically for Nuzlocke challenges. The site, it is awesome. If you'd like to check it out, it's** http:/s7 .zetaboards. com/Nuzlocke_Forum/index/** just take out the spaces. I'm Delu on there, too.

Reviewers whom I love: **Lightening-Alchemist-Rini, Hironada, Imagination Domination, FirebirdXoX, Indigo Crescent, Icyfeather12, Doggiefan, ChaoticXXHearts, Drewbie, Soulful Plain Strider, Livi Vivi Nekoyama.**

_**152 reviews. Oh. My. Arceus.** You people are awesome and I love you. _


	23. Twenty Second Skirmishes

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Twenty Two: **

"VEXYL!" I shouted again, my voice going hoarse with the decibel.

I darted through the dense collection of trees. The low hanging leaves hit my face and I had to smack them out of my way. The only thought on my mind was that I couldn't lose Vexyl – not my Vex. _Please, not again_, I begged to whatever deity would listen. God, Allah, Arceus – it didn't matter. Just someone, keep him safe.

And then, I could hear Jesus in my mind, muttering worriedly about something. She and Gabriel were back at the grove, neither much for running. As yet another branch hit my face, I suddenly heard her voice clear as a bell.

_Left!_

I pivoted, slipping on wet grass and dead leaves, colliding with a tree. There were scorch marks and deep gashes on the bark and I took off as I saw a burst of light through the evergreen maze. I prayed that Vex had gotten off a good ember, had saved himself. _Please, please, please_, I begged. I bounded over a rock, charred black, and past the last leaf filled branch. I came upon another grove, smaller than the one we'd been in, but clear of foliage.

The Mightyena that had attacked us was knocked unconscious against a tree on the other side of the space, whimpering involuntarily. I spotted it easily amongst the undergrowth, but what I didn't see was the familiar figure of my Combusken. Instead, standing proudly in the middle of the field, was an unfamiliar Blaziken, feathers preened and shining in the midday sun. My heart, instead of slowing at the realization that my Pokémon was fine – _more_ than fine – sped up with unnecessary adrenaline at the foreign sight. Vexyl, my fiery little bird, had gone from two foot something, to a startling 6'3".

"Damn," I whispered, awed. I walked closer, stilling as Vexyl faced me, his once temperamentally fierce eyes settled into a deadly calm inferno of maturity. "Vex?"

"Blaaz," he nodded, his voice far deeper than it ever had been. I craned up my head a little more to get a better sight of his new mane of platinum feathers and the V crest on his forehead. He looked like power incarnate. I took a deep breath in and a step closer in curiosity. He smelt like pure heat – like a hot day in July or a smoldering camp fire, all driftwood and smoke.

"You're – you're okay," I breathed, the realization finally catching up with me. I took a deep, shuddering breath. Tears pricked at my eyes and I looked down to wipe them away, feeling ridiculous. I shouldn't be crying – he was _okay_, he was _fine_, why was I –

All of the sudden, a clawed hand rested atop my head and I looked up at Vex. "Blaazik," he said, using his talon to turn my head. Behind us, Gabriel and Jesus stood, awkwardly paused on the edge of the field. "Ziken," he called out to them. Jesus was at our side at once, murmuring nonsense aloud and flitting her eyes between the two of us, needing reassurance that we were both fine. _The repercussions of losing so many so quickly_, I thought, mind darkening minutely through my stunned haze. I looked over to Gabriel, who still hung back a few feet from us. I left J to fuss over a newly evolved Vexyl and squatted down next to my Trickster.

"Gabe?" I said, trying to peer into his jewel eyes. All I saw was a distorted version of my reflection. It was times like these that I wished he could speak to me like Jesus could; he was the hardest of my bunch to understand and I had to admit to myself that I didn't spend as much alone time with him as I probably should've.

"Saa…" he said lowly. The green-tinged sunlight flicked over his eyes as he shifted ever-so-slightly. I looked behind me and saw that he was staring at Vex as J was Mother Henning over him.

"Vex is fine," I repeated, shifting so that my shadow blanketed him. I'd learned along the way that he much preferred this to any kind of physical contact and I did it to comfort him. It didn't seem to be working.

"Sa-eye," he nodded, not taking the bejeweled eyes off my new Blaziken.

In a rush of clarity, I understood.

Yes, Gabe was concerned for Vex – he was family, after all – but there was something underlying that concern, something that was bothering him more than his comrade's physical well-being. Gabriel was a Sableye. A _Sableye_ – one of the many species of Pokémon that don't evolve. Vex had just become perhaps the strongest on our team, due to his evolution. Gabriel was… jealous? _No_, I corrected mentally. _Envious_. It must not have bothered him before because we had another who was the same as him; Minnow.

But Minnow wasn't here anymore.

_It doesn't help that you don't spend as much time with him as Vex and J_, I told myself. The three Pokémon I had with me were my top percent, I knew, but I didn't treat them the same. I didn't spend the same time with Gabe as I did the other two. I honestly hadn't thought I needed to.

_Wrong_.

Making a decision, I reached out to my ghost type. Gabriel tensed as my hand approached but didn't move away. I sat my hand down on his head and did as Vexyl had done to me. I moved his line of sight from Vexyl to my own and I peered as closely into his face as I could.

"Gabriel," I said, tone as serious and as sincere as I could possibly make it. Briefly, I flirted with just telling him outright _I love you. You're worthwhile. You're perfect just the way you are._ But something told me that my little ghost type wouldn't believe it. Instead, I contemplated a different route – hopefully, a more effective one. "I want to tell you a story."

I took my hand away from his head and was disappointed when he went back to conspicuously looking at my fire type.

"I've told you the regions of Pokémon, right?" I got no physical response, but wasn't deterred. "Well, in Kanto, their start town is a place called Pallet. They have three Pokémon for their trainers: a Bulbasaur, a Squirtle, and a Charmander. Every new trainer got one of these special Pokémon and they started their journeys to become Pokémon Master. But one year, there was another that was used – another that no one had wanted." Gabriel drew his eyes away from Vexyl for a moment to look at me. "It was wild, it didn't listen, and it attacked his trainer. It was a Pikachu." Gabriel tilted his head. "Pikachu are small, yellow, electric rodents."

"Sable?" he groused.

"Like Minnow," I nodded, trying to ignore the pang in my chest. "The thing about Pikachu is this: they can't evolve by themselves, they need a special stone to do so." His eyes glinted with the dim forest light. "After a while, the trainer and his Pikachu became great friends and their team grew; they had an entire team of fully evolved, powerful Pokémon. All but Pikachu." I could see that I'd caught his full attention by now and moved on to the real point of the story. "Once, they faced an electric gym leader – the hardest they'd ever fought. He had a Raichu, the evolution of the trainer's own starter. The first time they fought, the trainer was defeated. His Pokémon almost died. The leader had told them that a Pikachu was worthless – that they would only win if he were to evolve. That they were weak, otherwise. He gave them means to evolve the Pikachu and left the decision to them. And do you know what they did?" I asked Gabriel.

"Bleye," he shrunk in on himself, looking at the ground.

"They threw it away." His jewels darted back up to me, unbelieving. I could hear Vexyl and Jesus come up behind me, deciding to listen closer to the story I was telling. Gabe's face remained on mine. "They threw it away because they didn't need it. Not all evolved Pokémon are the most powerful, and no one should be obligated to change who they are, just to win a match. And they proved it. They fought against the leader again and this time, they won. They got their badge and they moved on. Not once after that did either of them pick up a thunderstone – there was no reason to. Pikachu was as powerful as he allowed himself to be. Do you understand, Gabriel?"

"Sa-eye," he nodded, guiltily looking between Vexyl and me. I reached out to him again and he tensed, but I just leaned over and gave him the briefest hug I could manage. He relaxed after I let him go.

"How about we go train?" I looked over at Vex and he nodded at me, ready and willing. I recalled Jesus and then I recalled Gabriel; I could see that he still felt envious of Vex's transformation but I could only hope that in time he could deal with it.

* * *

I stretched out my muscles with a tired sigh, dragging my arms up and over my head. I felt a satisfying crack in my shoulder and groaned. After returning J and Gabe, Vex and I had scorched a trail through Route 120, battling any and all Pokémon in our wake. Well, I say _Vex and I_ but it was mostly my new Blaziken taking charge of matters at hand and destroying our competition. As much as I knew of my need to return to battling, I was still having a tough time settling back into my position as Leader and Master and Trainer. But the flashbacks (_of pain and death and_ – ) had quieted, and it was really more than I could have ever hoped for in a single day's work.

We'd been at it for a few good hours now and I could see the sun starting to set across the mountainous Hoenn skyline. The magnificent ball of fire we call the sun dipped lazily below treetops and seemed to set them alight with its energy and radiance. I shook my head, clearing my overly poetic thoughts and turned back to my fire type. Rubbing the back of my neck, I called out to him.

"I think it's time to call it a day, Vex," I said, walking passed the recently thrashed Linoone we'd taken care of moments before. I glared at it, a paranoid suspicion of its species ingrained into me, and fingered the still purple scars across my arm. Why on earth it was crossing the timber wood bridge, I would never know. I looked up from my inspection of the KO'd Pokémon and over to my starter when I got no response. Vex actually wasn't even looking in my direction, almost appeared as though he didn't even hear me, his fierce gaze never wavering from the far edge of the bridge. As he started forward, I took an automatic step back onto safe, sturdy land. "Vex, this way."

"Blaa," he protested, yellow eyes transfixed on empty space.

"It's nothing," I told him. "We've had a long day, we can pick it up again tomorrow." I tempted a few steps out and pulled at a taloned arm, but he resolutely kept his stance. Curiosity finally getting the better of me, I let out a huff and turned my eyes on the non-object of his scrutiny. As I looked closer, my brows furrowed.

There, just at the opposite end of the bridge, was empty space, just like the rest of it. But there was something… off about it, too. Like the air was distorted somehow. The bonfire in the sky muted just a little more with the waning sun and my eyes caught it – just the briefest flicker of not-quite-right coloring before it faded out. I had to scramble my brain for more than a minute to recognize what this deformation could've meant. It was something about a Pokémon, I was sure. Before I'd really got a good, clear reading on the situation, Vex leapt away from me in a flash of red glory.

"Keec!" something shrieked, voice altogether one way and yet different at the same time, like listening to an echo. I could just barely see the blurred motion of Vexyl's fast legs moving, trying to hit the invisible thing and failing.

I tried to fix my eyes on our 'opponent,' but the damn thing was still hiding itself. All I saw was Vexyl, intent on destroying the oddity in our midst. Except – except he kept _missing_ and this was Vexyl and he almost _never _missed and what was going on? I could distinctly feel the panic starting to set in – the same one that made my hands shake and my brain shut down, the same one that kept me from battling for the last week.

"Bla-zi!" Vex roared, lashing out at his invisible enemy. He was getting frustrated and reckless because of it. I clenched my hands at my sides, trying to ward off the edging sensation of alarm and helplessness that had become so familiar to me.

_Think, think, think, Lucy. C'mon, don't leave him out there. What was it, what was it?_ I frantically searched my thoughts for the source of our confusion – which Pokémon was it, again? I couldn't remember, it had been too long… _What if I forget everything? How am I supposed to keep them safe? _I shook my head roughly. _No. Calm down. Deep breathes. Think. It said 'Keec'; what Pokémon starts with a K? Kirlia, Kingler, Kakuna… Kecleon!_

"Vex!" I shouted, "It's a Kecleon! It's invisible. Just hit it once and its Color Change ability should kick in!" I could hope, at least, that it would kick in. Give us some sort of a fighting chance.

"Ken-ken-ken-ken," Vex panted as he tried to bash the normal type in with his long, powerful legs. I kept looking at this one-sided fight, adrenaline and purpose filling me with every beat of my heart. Strategy, that's what we needed. Think around the obstacle, let it show itself to you.

"Block off the exit," I told my starter. "Keep him from going anywhere. If he wants to leave bad enough, he'll have to attack you to get passed and we'll know where he's going." I washed him do as I commanded, leaping a startling distance that somehow seemed physically impossible for anyone to jump, Pokémon or not. Vex spun on his clawed feet, the nails scraping up the wood and clamping down to steady him, leaving deep gouges in the surface. And then, we waited.

Just as the sun dipped a little more, lowering itself fully behind the treetops, I saw the distortion again just in time for it to attack.

"Kecleeeee!" it screeched, voice a deafening sound, like nails on a chalkboard. I covered my ears with my hands, grimace on my face, and Vex howled, clenching his eyes shut.

"Vex, pinpoint him by sound," I yelled as loudly as I could, hoping my voice carried. It seemed that luck was paying off and my starter did, in fact, hear me. He sent out a flare of ember in the general direction of our opponent and the noise disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

"Kec-kec," it whined, body finally showing itself to us, evergreen and yellow in the fading light of day. It glowed briefly, probably to assimilate itself with Fire and defend against that, before turning and glaring at my Blaziken.

"Double kick!" I commanded.

Vex dodged forward, strong muscles ruffling the crimson feathers, and came upon the tiny thing with only a few quick strides. He kicked out forcefully with one leg and I could hear the air whistle through his plumage. The hit landed soundly, sending the Pokémon several feet into the air. Before I could even fully comprehend the astonishingly quick move, the Kecleon glowed again and Vex had leapt into the air once more. He spun halfway through his jump and round-house kicked the normal type back onto the bridge. The wood shook with the impact and my legs trembled as the bridge swayed.

I thought, after all that, we'd have won. Unfortunately for my assumptions, I was proved wrong. Somehow, the Kecleon had shakily stood up once more and looked ready for another round – albeit, a shorter one. _Special Defense_, I thought._ High, high, high Special Dense_.

"KecleON!" the 3 foot Pokémon intoned, opening its mouth wide in the general direction of Vexyl, who'd barely gotten his footing in time for the attack. Waves of distorted air crashed into my starter, much like a dozen invisible Kecleon attacking all at once. It was a familiar move, not unlike Jesus' Psychic, and it was concerning. Vexyl was partially fighting type, and Psybeam – or what I assumed was Psybeam, if my shoddy memory was correct – was super effective against him.

I cringed as I was proven right. The effects of the attack were already wearing on my Pokémon and he kneeled, feathers jutting out uncomfortably from where he'd been hit. My mind listed what I knew to be true, as of that moment, in a desperate attempt to just _end this_. Keckleon knew psychic moves, was currently a fighting type per his Color Change ability, and Vexyl knew only four attacks right now – two of which we'd used. _Peck_, my mind supplied easily. Peck was a flying move and would do at least a good bit of damage thanks to Kecleon's special ability. Plan set, I called out to my starter.

"Vex, peck!" I commanded, just ready for this to be _over_. I saw my boy nod and charge the normal type once more, beak jutted out defiantly at our opponent. Seemed as though he was just as ready as I was for this to be done.

I was more than thankful when the attack landed, the sharp jab of Vexy's beak piercing bloodily through the Kecleon's shoulder, causing him to cry out and slump across the wood in a dead faint. I, at least, hoped it was a faint; I didn't think I could contend with more blood on my hands due to Pokémon battles. At least, not yet. Not while everything still felt to fresh and _raw_.

As I stood back from the edge of the bridge, having cautiously edged my way from the monstrosity, I realized that my hands weren't shaking and my breathing was almost as even as it had been earlier, when I was waxing poetic nonsense. Maybe – maybe I'd actually come to some sort of middle ground with myself. I knew that my Pokémon needed me – and just how desperately I needed them, in turn – and I had to suppose that, somehow, my subconscious had smoothed over the rougher parts of the last few weeks for me.

I could hope, at least, that this somewhat ambiguous internal peace would last.

I looked at Vexyl with wary eyes as he made his way toward me, having rubbed the wild Pokémon blood off of his beak and onto his feathers. I slumped my shoulders a little as he returned the tired look. "Ready to go, Vex?"

"Bla," he agreed lowly.

I nodded, returned him, and made the trip back to the Pokémon Center in silence.

* * *

**A/N:** A month and a half. God _damn_. Excuse the not-so-French vulgarities, it's been... a long time. A long, long time. Firstly, I would like to apologize for making you all wait so long. I've, unfortunately, been carrying a disease known as Writer's Block for the last month or so and it's affected my writing something terrible. Hell, the only reason I got this much done was because I KNEW I needed to do it. My usual techniques for overcoming this horrendous illness - i.e. writing one-shots for other fandoms, some purely fictional pieces, doing some artwork and maybe a little math - have failed me. I do believe I've lost a number of brain cells due to banging my head against the wall.

Continuously.

_Painfully_.

So, this is the culmination of my efforts and I hope (pray, _beg_ for God's sake) that my Block goes away soon. Cross your fingers for me, would you?

Also: This chapter goes out to **Soulful Plain Strider** for helping me figure out a way to make my battle scenes better. Hopefully, this will give an overall improvement to the story and make it just that bit more enjoyable to read. Tell me what you thought of the how I wrote the battle and what you think I could work on.

Reviewers who are love and have stuck by me throughout this whole mess I call a fanfiction: **Sin Piedad, Lily Vivi Nekoyama, Librarian 00X, Drewbie, Firebird XoX, Rise and Fall, Indigo Crescent, Doggiefan, Lightening Alchemist Rini, Nevin Slate, IcyFeather12, ChaoticxxHearts, **and, of course, **Soulful Plain Strider.**

You all, are love.


	24. Twenty Third Thatch

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Twenty Three:**

"All right, loves," I said, holding my arms akimbo as I surveyed my team.

Copper was floating about five feet about the ground, curled around herself as if trying to appear smaller than her 20 foot stature. I gave her a soft smile and, after glancing at Gabe, made a decision to spend as much individual time as possible with each of my Pokémon. I knew it would be difficult to equalize my time between them, but it was the least I could do for my family.

Next I looked over Callie, my newest recruit, as she sat on her haunches with a reluctant sort of obedience. She was a good few feet away from the others and I quickly assessed that I'd have to spend time getting her used to everyone else, plus my own command. True, we had spent a few hours together, relaxing, getting to know each other, but it was hardly enough for her to be at ease with my authority. My eyes passed over Vex and J as they had their own sort of conversation, giving a nod to my most advanced Pokémon.

After giving them all the once over, I satisfied with what I saw and was now bound and determined to battle the Gym Leader as soon as possible. The memories weren't as haunting as they had once been, but I was far from enjoying my all-too-long stay in Fortree. "Cop, you're up first."

"Gya!" she agreed, untwining herself and following after me. I was leaving the rest of the team out for long overdue bonding time in an untraveled path of the wood. It would be a test for both them and me – to see how they acted amongst each other without my presence, and to see if I could stay focused while they weren't under my care. In a way, I was preparing myself for the possibility that I could lose them all – that this harsh world would take them from me.

I shook myself. _Not that again, Lucy. Just go train_. For once, I listened to myself.

* * *

The next day, as I entered the Gym, I was more than a little surprised at its appearance.

The other gyms were themed, sure – all but Morgan's, it seemed, minimalist that he was – but _this_ was going a little overboard. _What did you expect from a town that keeps its homes in trees?_ I asked myself. The roof was a good thirty feet up and made up of some kind of reinforced straw with a multitude of skylights opening up the structure and making me feel as if I were cocooned in a bird nest rather than a Gym. I shrugged it off, rapping out a lousy pun about birdbrains in my head, before taking a further step into the building. Looking around, I took a quick inventory of the place.

Off to my right seemed to be an entranceway of sorts while ahead of me was a series of ledges. I tried to crane my head up and see what was at the top, but my line of vision was cut off just before the end. Eyeing the seven foot wall (and the one after, and the one after that), I pursed my lips before turning to the entry at the side. I let out an _oomph_ when I ran into something and looked down at the bar that obscured my path. Quirking a brow, I simply hopped over the damned thing and continued on my way.

Twenty minutes later found me jumping yet another bar. As I eyed the large room the narrow corridors had led me to, I was hoping that this charade of a challenge to get to the Gym Leader was over. I put the thought from my mind as I came upon a by-now familiar site. Well, mostly familiar, at any rate. The large room I'd entered apparently _was_ the battle room, if the recognizable white boxes along the floor were to be believed. As I stepped further into the space the ground under me crunched. Looking down, I saw it was yet more of the thatch-like material that was used to make the roof. I lifted a foot and inspected the peculiar flooring; I bounced on it a bit and shrugged as it held up.

_Birdbrains, must think up more puns for birdbrains…_ I noted to myself. Honestly, the oddities of the Gym were starting to pile up. A part of me just said to go with it, and I listened.

"Excuse me?" a voice came from my left, accented familiarly yet completely new to me at the same time. I tilted my head in that direction and a woman came into my line of sight. If the aviator-esque outfit was anything to go by, she was the new Winona, though she was furthest in similarities than any of the previous Gym Leaders had been to their predecessors.

"Hello," I greeted, walking up to her. She was several inches shorter than me with a round frame and amber eyes. "Are you the Gym Leader?"

She nodded, her long brown plait of hair bobbing from under the helmet she wore. "I'm Winona, Leader of the Fortree Gym," she proclaimed.

"I'm Lucy Maple of Littleroot…" I paused, sighed, and shook my head, rolling my eyes at myself behind my glasses. "No, wait, no I'm not."

'Winona' gave a half-curious, half-confused look. "You're… not?"

"No, I'm not. Look," I waved a hand. "Let me start over. My name _is_ Lucy, but I'm not really… from around here," I hedged. Glancing at her, I saw a light spark up in those oddly colored eyes. "And I don't think you are, either."

"No," she quietly agreed.

"Let me guess," I said, peering at her over my glasses. By now, this conversation seemed routine, except for the snag at the beginning. What can I say, I really _was_ starting to think of myself as Lucy of Littleroot. "You were playing your video game, you saved somewhere around the Fortree area, and the next thing you know you're waking up dressed like a mixture between Howard Hughes and the Cookie Monster."

She looked at me with wide eyes before composing herself and becoming serious once more – perhaps even more serious with me than she had been before. "How did you – "

"Know?" I finished. She nodded at me silently. "Because it happened to me and to a handful of other people, most of them in the same position you're in, only in different cities," I said matter-of-factly. So far she hadn't really given me a defined example of her personality and I figured that the blunt approach would work best and went for it.

"I guess I should tell you my name isn't really Winona, then," she sighed, her accent becoming thicker. I furrowed my brow at it. "I'm Tabby, Tabby Harkins," she held out a gloved hand.

I took it with my own uncovered one and shook. "Lucy Spalding. Tabby, if you don't mind me asking, where are you from?"

Her face lit up with a grin. "Aussie."

I made an 'ahhh' sound in comprehension. "Right, thought it sounded familiar." I grinned sheepishly. "Actually, I thought you were British for a minute there."

She shrugged a little but her face otherwise remained neutral. Not a moment later we were back on the original topic. "So, you said there were others? Others like us, in this situation?" she asked, frowning.

I nodded. "The Gym Leaders of every town I've visited so far have been Real Worlders, plus a boy who may or may not have been meant to replace Brendan in the video game."

Tabby tilted her head at me. "May or may not?" she asked.

"Well, it's hard to explain really," I ran a hand through my hair. The black strands combed through my fingers for longer than I was used to and I realized that my hair was growing out to the tops of my shoulders. "We think maybe he was meant to take Brendan's place, but was brought here just a little too late. As it is, his looks are a mixture of Brendan's and what he was like in the Real World."

She pondered a moment then nodded slowly as the unproven theory sunk in. I couldn't fault her for being cautious about believing it; had I been in her situation, without finding other people so early on, I would've doubted it, too. Hell, I probably would still think I was crazy or having a really vivid dream; by now, though, I was embittered to the fact that this was no delusion. _Ignorance is bliss_.

"So, have you and… these other people come up with any theories as to why we're here, or how to get home?" Tabby asked, amber eyes peering up at me.

I pursed my lips in thought. Hesitantly, I said, "Perhaps. We're not sure – it's all speculation," I waved a hand around. "It might have something to do with the Legendaries, we think. Mostly, though, we're sure the League is in on it."

At that, her eyes flicked wider. It was a simple gesture, but I could recognize stunned surprise anywhere. It wasn't just that, though, it was something else, too. Something I couldn't put my finger on.

"The League – as in the Pokémon League Officials?" she asked cautiously. I nodded but said nothing. "Oh," she bit her lip.

"Oh?" I asked. There was definitely something she wasn't telling me and my gut said it was important. I took a step closer, an old intimidation tactic I used on the oldest of my younger siblings, Lana. She was shorter than I was, just like Tabby, and my height seemed to freak her out for some reason.

"Uh, yeah…" she shuffled back a step. "Steven Stone was just here, not even a few hours ago. He's a League Official," she said, reminding me of the granite eyed man. I hummed; she was still leaving something out. "He – he was acting _weird_," she finally admitted.

"'Weird' how?" I asked. After all, by my standards Steven was a peculiar guy as it was. I needed something more than that to be concerned.

"Well," she shrugged. "He talked about _you_."

I blinked. _That was not what I was expecting_. "Me?"

"Not specifically or anything," she told me. "But he just said I should be on the lookout for any challengers soon. Strong ones who 'weren't from around here,'" she used her fingers to make air quotes. She gave me a speculative look. "It's was almost like…"

"Like he was telling you about me specifically," I nodded vaguely, looking passed Tabby's shoulder as I thought.

_Steven Stone, Steven Stone, Steven Stone. Everything just goes back to him time and again,_ I growled in my head. It was frustrating, being on the brink of some sort of revelation as to _WHY_ and still not knowing. I felt like I was back at the beginning again, clueless and confused. I closed my eyes and rubbed a hand over my brow.

"Look, Tabby – " I started with a sigh.

"You want to battle and get out of here, right?" she answered. I nodded, but quirked a brow. "I don't blame you; if I were in your position, I'd want to do the same thing. _Especially_ if I had people to talk to it about," she sounded almost wistful. Immediately, I felt bad. She'd been in this city for as long as I'd been travelling – stuck with the same people for more than a month, days monotonous with easy-going challengers.

"I can give you their contact information, the others," I told her, reaching for my PokéNav. She waved a hand at me.

"Don't bother. I do miss the comfort from home, but," she glanced around the Bird Nest, eyes twinkling, "I like it here."

"But it's so confined – so solitary," I struggled to understand. I couldn't see why she didn't want to talk to the others, become a family with them like I had.

"That's where you're wrong," she smiled at me. "I've got my Pokémon. And those Pokémon? They soar and break me _free_," she breathed.

I shuddered at the thought of being hundreds of feet in the air, Pokémon or no. _Obviously not everyone has your fear of heights, Luce,_ I snarked at myself. I shrugged off the conversation – both the one between Tabby and I, plus the one I was having with myself – and spoke. "If you're sure…"

"I am," she nodded emphatically, her long plait bobbing again. She glanced back at the arena. "Ready to battle?"

"As I'll ever be," I agreed.

As I got into position in the visitor's box, I looked up. There was another skylight here, as there had been throughout the Gym, but this one was massive, taking up the entire area above the arena, leaving it open to the expanse above. For a moment, all I saw was blue, and I had to admit it was pretty breathtaking.

"Leader Winona versus Lucy Maple!" a voice boomed from invisible speakers. There wasn't a referee in every Gym and I had almost forgotten that some Leaders preferred them. I ignored the disjointed voice in favor of seeing what Tabby chose first.

"Go, Swailor!" she called. I rumpled my brow, unfamiliar with the Pokémon.

A blue bird appeared, fluffy white wings imitating the clouds above. Comprehension dawned on me. _A Swablu, of course_. I'd forgotten that other people nicknamed their Pokémon, too.

"All right, I choose J!" I threw her Pokéball, catching it when it zoomed back to me. Across from me, Tabby made a sound of appreciation. I nodded at her. Neither of us would be initiating conversation during this fight, knowing it needed to be done quickly. "Shockwave!"

"Gardev!" my psychic intoned, thrusting her palms out to emit a powerful swell of electrical energy. The current flashed berserkly, fritzing across the field; I could hear the energy of it crackle in the air and bits of the straw flooring came up. The Swablu feebly attempted to get away from the attack but it was no use; it's small, blue body acted as a conductor for the electricity.

"Swaa!" it shrieked as its downy feathers fluffed with damaging energy.

"Swailor!" Tabby gasped, obviously surprised that my psychic knew an electric move. Her eyes narrowed. "Mirror move!"

The flying type flapped its wings hard, collecting the residual current in the air. The lingering volts amassed and, with a flinch, the Swablu copied the attack back. Just as before, an electric current raced across the room at lightening speed. Jesus didn't move and instead took the hit, recoiling only slightly as the power thrummed through her, around her.

Feeding off the power in the air, she gathered herself tightly before unleashing a powerful Psychic. "Gar-DEV!" she cried. A wavering mass of air pitched itself forward and knocked the Swablu straight from the hovering perch it had been in. The blue feathered flying type skid out of the ring and landed near the far wall.

"Swai!" Tabby gasped lowly, clutching at the thing's Pokéball. Her brows furrowed in a recognizable mixture of shock, worry, and determination. "Return!" she aimed the ball at her unconscious Pokémon and with a white red light it was gone. Tabby turned to me again, frowning, before switching devices. "That electric move won't work on my Torpedo!" she called over to me, tossing out her next Pokémon.

The Pokémon that appeared was a bit taller than Vexyl and a shade of green only matched by the forest of trees outside of the Gym. A fruit akin to bananas was growing on the underside of its neck and the wings made of palm-like leaves across its back were far from soft. I pursed my lips. _Tropius. She's right, electric moves won't be very effective against a partial grass type_. Taking a step forward, I held up Jesus' Pokéball.

"I'm recalling J," I said, mostly for the benefit of the innocuous referee. Jesus nodded once at me before returning to her ball. I knew I'd be needing her later so I tucked the minimized ball into the second slot, it's usual resting place. I palmed the first ball and tossed it. "Vexyl, you're up."

"Bla-ziken," he roared. I could see the steam starting to rise up about him, creating a diffusing in the air not unlike a paved road on a hot day. I smirked. Sure, an ember wouldn't do much damage to a beast like Tropius, but Vex and I had perfected a new attack – one he was itching to try out on a real opponent instead of just the local wildlife.

"Vex, Blaze kick!" I ordered, clenching my fists at my side.

"Ken!" he snorted. His long legs sent him forward in a blur of motion, easily leading him to the other side of the field. My eyes almost lost track of him; the only reason I could keep up well enough was because of the trail of smoldering thatch left in his wake. "Blaziken!" he cawed, coming in low beneath the partial grass type. He rested briefly on bent haunches before snapping out a leg. The appendage blazed with fire the same color as the feathers underneath, swiping out and catching on the dinosaur Pokémon.

"Tro!" it wailed, stamping back in an attempt to get away from my Blaziken. Unfortunately for the Pokémon, I'd been working with Vex on that move for just this Gym Challenge. Between the power built in behind the kick and the flames that came with it, the Tropius was done in one hit. Tabby sent me another one of those glare-frowns.

It was between the match with her next Pokémon, a Skarmory, and the one after that, a Pelliper, that I realized I may have over trained my team a bit.

"How?" she gaped at me, grasping at a ball – her last attempt for victory. "How did you get three one-hit Kos in a row?" she questioned. Her voice didn't sound as if it was used to such loudness and it crackled slightly. Instead of answering, I gestured for her to call out her last Pokémon. She enlarged the ball and revealed a powerful looking Altaria; it was a beautiful beast, to be sure, with wispy feathers creating its cloud and an elegantly long, swan-like neck. Graceful.

It was only fitting that my most poised Pokémon was matched against Tabby's.

"J," I nodded to her. She'd already been out – having taken care of the Pelliper – but now she knew this was getting serious. Altaria, I remembered, were an amazing species Pokémon. Part dragon, part flying they held a calm sort of power behind all those feathers and serene features. We'd have to be careful until we could figure out how strong it was compared to J; I wasn't about to risk her being hurt. "Shockwave!"

The same familiar storm of electrical energy pulsed through Jesus as it gathered around her. The air crackled just as Tabby called her own Pokémon to move.

"Dragon Dance, Aries!" the Gym leader ordered her Pokémon. My eyes narrowed; Dragon Dance would increase attack and speed, but not defense. Perhaps she was trying to give her Pokémon the ability to duck out of the way?

The Altaria in question closed its eyes, faint hum coming from the back of its throat. As she hovered in midair I could see rings of light forming around her, creating a sphere of a calming sort of blue energy. The rings glowed white and all the sudden descended into the Pokémon's body, making the blue feathers give off a lustrous sheen.

"Gardev!" Jesus intoned, releasing her cloud of electricity into the rink. It shot straight for our opponent and I anticipated Tabby calling out a defensive maneuver, a dodge, _something_ to get her Pokémon out of the way. But she surprised me by doing none of those things and instead let her Altaria take the hit. My eyes widened just a bit at the careless gesture; but, as the static in the air cleared, I could see why no avoidance was needed.

Aries was fine; in fact, she looked almost as if nothing had hit her in the first place. My jaw clenched. _Shit._

"She's been specially trained, you know," Tabby informed me, satisfied look on her face. "Her draconian heritage lets her get away with electrical hits without taking too much damage. Your overused move isn't going to work – not this time," she let out a devious smirk that seemed odd on her face.

I braced my shoulders, ready for a different plan of attack. Flexibility was important in Pokémon battling and now was the time to implement it.

"That may be true, but Jesus isn't an electric Pokémon," I grinned back at her. Her face blanked for a split second, surprise neutralizing her expression, before she set into a determined stance. Neither of us wanted to lose.

"J, Psychic!"

"Aries, Earthquake!"

I let out a gasp as the ground beneath me shook, straw flying and crunching with the powerful quake. I fell back on my ass, unable to stay steady upon the awkward terrain. J, fortunately, didn't seem to be having a problem staying up – it was the attack part that she couldn't do. Patches of the flooring were falling through and being uprooted in some places, one of which was right where my Gardevoir was standing.

"Voir!" she cried out, sinking into one of the pitfalls. The shaking continued and her lower half crushed against the side.

"Jesus!" I called out, struggling to my feet. _Can't stop now, Lucy, gotta keep going – gotta win, gotta save J_.

"Dev," she replied meekly. _Master? I can't get out_. She sounded scared and all I wanted to do was run into the arena and pull her out myself.

_It's gonna be all right, Jesus, just hold on. Can you attack?_ The ground had finally stopped shaking and I could see my Pokémon nod her head slightly, probably too drained to keep up the mental pathway we communicated through. I didn't call out the attack, she knew which one to use, and I wanted to keep it a surprise to our now smug opponents. Tabby had this air about her that radiated victory and all I wanted to do was wipe it off her face and get of here.

"Give up yet?" she called over to me, brown braid flicked behind her.

"Not quite," I responded, voice serious. I tried to distract her with my voice so that Jesus could get her shot in. If she could make the Psychic powerful enough then I was sure we could get out of here; the Shockwave hadn't done much, but the damage would be enough, I hoped. "Just because I wasn't hoisted into the slot of Gym Leader doesn't mean I'm weak."

"No, but it does mean that I have a home field advantage," Tabby said. Her hand waved across the crumbling arena, nonchalant with the damage she'd done. No doubt straw was easy to replace, so I didn't fault her for this uncaring attitude. I flicked my eyes over to Jesus and saw that she was almost done powering up.

"Just because you have the advantage doesn't mean you'll win every time," I informed her. "J, Psychic!"

"Gardevoir!" my telepathic Pokémon shouted, green palms thrusting outward and sending a veil of psychic energy at the Altaria across the ring. I saw both Aries and Tabby's eyes widen at our dupe and couldn't help but let out a smile.

"Taria!" Aries whimpered out. The attack was enough to push her through the air a few feet and make her lose consciousness, sending her crashing to the ground.

"No, Aries!" Tabby didn't hesitate to dash out onto the field and, seeing the clear ending to our battle, I rushed to my own Pokémon.

Kneeling down on the hay beside Jesus, I wrapped my arms around her and tried to hoist her from the hole. She mewled and grabbed onto me. She was heavier than she looked, but I eventually got her out and pulled her into my arms, checking her over surreptitiously. The damage wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it was enough to warrant a super potion. I reached for my pack and rummaged through it a bit before finding the bottle. As I spritzed it over the scratches and bruises she'd attained, I marveled as they disappeared. I doubted I would ever get used to the sight of all that pain going away so miraculously and a part of me didn't want to. It was like magic.

"You are a pretty good trainer, I'll admit," a voice came from beside me. I looked up and there was Tabby, donning an expression I didn't quite recognize. It was a mixture of respect and something that made me feel like I had been inspected and lived up to measure.

"You're not bad yourself, for an anti-social birdbrain," I told her. I really did need to stop it with the bird comments, though, at least to myself. It was getting a little out of hand.

She laughed lightly at me, shaking her head. She held out a hand and opened up her palm, showing off a shiny metal Feather Badge. I took it and stood, Jesus rising beside me.

"You sure you don't want the others' numbers?" I asked as I turned to leave. She shook her head at me.

"No, I'm content with the life I lead," she shrugged.

"If you're sure," I shrugged, waving.

"I am."

* * *

I stretched my arms out high above my head, enjoying the feel of my muscles tensing and relaxing. I was on my way to the innermost ground of Route 120, having gone back to the Pokémon Center after my Gym match. With my Pokémon rested and fed, I was more than ready to get out of the wild green wilderness that made up Fortree City. As I walked, I held up my newest Gym Badge. The midday light caught on the making the curved triangle sheen a sea foam green. I smiled slightly.

"Six down, two to go," I murmured aloud to myself. My lips still quirked upwards, I reached for my pack and set the pin inside. As I went to take my hand out, I brushed along something and decided to pull it out. In my hands I held my yellow PokéNav. I paused for a moment and tilted my head. It had been… more than a little while since I'd talked to Tiran. Suppressed feelings of concern forced their way to the forefront of my mind and before I knew it I'd highlighted his name and his _Call_.

It buzzed.

And buzzed.

And buzzed.

Finally, the phone clicked.

"Hello!" Tiran answered.

"Tiran," I greeted, a soft smile coming to my face. It was nice to hear from my pseudo-little brother after such long days. So much had happened since I last spoke to him – it felt like a lifetime ago, now. "I –" I paused, trying to get my thoughts in order. "How have you been?" I settled for the generic question, unwilling to immediately encroach on the sensitive topic of our last conversation.

"Well, since our conversation this morning, it's been a train wreck!" Not for the first time, his voice sounded off. He was hiding something, but I had quickly found that was par for the course with Tiran. I furrowed my brow.

"This morning?" I shook my head. "Tiran, I haven't talked to you in almost two weeks!" Now I was really concerned. I stopped my progress through Route 120 to pay more attention to the conversation.

"Two... but that's..." he stopped. His silence spoke of surprise and I had to wonder what was going on with him. My concern increased tenfold. Did he not remember? Had someone attacked him? Was he all right? My mind went frantic but I tried to stay as calm as possible. I didn't feel like I was succeeding.

"Tiran?" I questioned. "Please, just say something."

"Two weeks... It can't really..." his voice was soft. "I couldn't have been down for two weeks, but everything... I just... But they're gone, and everyone else looks so..." He paused again, contemplative somehow. "Lucy, why?" He sounded so lost, so broken. I closed my eyes and leaned against a tree, my forehead resting against the rough bark. He'd lost his memory, his words had just confirmed it.

"Oh, Tiran," I breathed. "I don't know." I wanted to ask the same question – why him, what did he ever do to deserve this pain? The last thing he remembered was – was. I didn't know. I hadn't asked. "What's the last thing you remember?" My voice became more decisive as I set myself to helping Tiran. One of us had to be strong.

"I lost Volk and Bliz," he whispered. "Volk got killed in the first part of the attack and Bliz got shot when she tried to escape with the vials. I saved a vial though, the other shattered in my hand. I didn't want to let them die in vain." Another pause and I could hear the gritty sound of suppressed sobs over the phone. "And then it all went dark, but I got my other Pokémon out before I passed out... for... two weeks..."

"_Jesus_, Tiran," I gasped. I took several deep, calming breaths. "I'm so sorry," I told him, my sincerity like sandpaper in my voice. "All right, all right," I babbled, trying to think. "You – you need to get to a Pokémon Center. The closest one possible, as soon as possible," I stopped and thought for a minute. "Where are you? Do you need me to come find you?"

"I'm... Heh, I have no idea where I am. I think my Pokémon moved me during those two weeks. The last I remember is being slightly West of the Weather Institute, but you shouldn't go that way." His tone was steadier than it had been with more conviction. Something else he was hiding from me. "You have to promise me not to go that way. I tried my Nav, but I couldn't get the map to work, so I think something's broken on it."

"Okay, I won't go that way," I agreed easily. "I'm not even near there anymore." I sighed and leaned away from the tree, rubbing fingers over my eyes. "Communicate with your Pokémon, let them help you find your way. You'll end up… somewhere." Then it dawned on me. "The Weather Institute! You should be able to see it above the trees, the damn thing's massive."

"I can't see it, we're in a clearing with some trees around it. There's a brook nearby, but I don't think I'll be able to leave for a bit even if I knew where we were..."

I frowned. "I don't like the idea of you being so out in the open when you and your team are so…fragile. But it's probably a good idea to sit still and heal up a little before wandering into uncharted territory." I furrowed my brows, thinking about what necessities he'd need to take care of. "The brook will provide water, but your food's probably gone bad. Look for berry trees."

"Food? My Pokémon are probably hungry." My question about his own hunger died on my lips as he cried out in pain. "Lucy? Do you know why my hand is purple?"

I looked at my own purpled skin. "It's from the virus; your hand is infected from getting it into your wounds. It needs to be treated. I don't know what happens if it's not."

"I don't think that will be a problem. It's already almost healed up and the veins go back to normal about half way up my forearm. When I woke up, Chlor was using some sort of move that smelled good. I think it was a healing move..." he trailed off. "Oh! Chlor is my Tropius, I caught him before making it to the Institute... I only have four left now..."

"It seems like neither of us has had a good few weeks," I rubbed the back of my neck, not exactly at ease with the conversation. I knew I should just tell him then, tell him about the ones I'd lost, but I couldn't bring myself to. "That's great about Chlor, though. I'll be sure to tell Morgan about covering you for it," I promised. Our conversation quieted for a few moments, words failing us. What was there to say, really? He was lost, I couldn't find him, and neither of us were happy about any of it.

"What about you, Lucy? We've only been talking about me, so please, tell me what you have done while I've been out," he begged.

"Nonna, Roxie, and Minnow," I said, tugging at my bangs. There was no tell-tale sensation of prickling at the backs of my eyes and I was thankful. Maybe I really had healed; or maybe I'd just said I was over it so many times I'd convinced myself of the lie.

"Three of them? But... Three? Who's with you?"

I cleared my throat. "Vex, J, Gabe, Copper, and a new recruit – Callie." At that, I smiled. Even though I wasn't completely sure of her yet, it pleased me to have a Mightyena after all this time.

"Is J okay?" he asked. Then, "Callie… Lucy… what's California?"

"Jesus is doing better than she was before." I furrowed my brow. "California is a state in the United States back in the… holy shit, Tiran, did you just remember something?" It was a stupid thing for me to forget, that he'd lost his memory, but I had. The fact that he was remembering things…

"I'm glad Jesus is okay," he said first. "We... went there... It was for... something. Something about my family... But we weren't there long... I can't remember more than that though... What do you remember about the... States, was it?"

Unconsciously, I nodded. "Yes, the United States of America. That's where I'm from, where you're probably from, too," I added. "Uh, it's part of a continent with two other nations, Canada and Mexico. California is like… a providence of sorts on the Western coast. It's warm; beach, sun, sand – a lot like Slateport, actually."

"I didn't like Slateport much. There were too many people there, on the beach. I just wanted to sit in the sand by myself, but there were too many people... We saw an orca. At home the winters were cold. I always hated the cold... I'm glad Hoenn is warm... There weren't Pokémon in the states, I can't remember them..."

He seemed to be babbling and I let him because he also seemed to need it. If it got him his memories back… but then, not all memories are good.

"No, there aren't any Pokémon in the States," I agreed. "Not real ones, at any rate. They're fictitious, made-up creatures for a video game." I smiled slightly as I remembered the longing I'd always felt to be a part of this world.

"Ah, I see." Then he burst out, "My name! I remember my name!"

"That's great!" I said, smile blooming full. "What is it?"

"Well... I only remember my last name... and it sounds kinda funny with my first name. My last name is Terrar. So I'm Tiran Terrar."

"Tiran Terrar," I said, tasting the name on my lips. "I like it, has a nice ring." I chuckled before sobering slightly as I saw the sun dip a little in the sky. The day was getting on and I needed to start walking again – something I couldn't do when I knew Tir wasn't taken care of. "So, Mr. Terrar, what are you planning on doing about your… situation?"

"Well, I think we will take a few days to get back up to full strength then head to... um... Fortree! I have to buy more clothes and a new pack anyways, as I seem to only have my pants left. I really hope they have some of those great shoes there! I'm lucky that I kept my money, Nav, badges, and ID in my pockets. What will you be doing?"

"Fortree is a good place for shopping… so long as you're not afraid of heights," I amended, grimacing. "I'm heading East; I think I'll visit Mt. Pyre and pay my respects before heading on to Lilycove to pick up a few things of my own."

"I used to be afraid of heights, but not anymore. I'm going to make an impromptu grave here before moving on, so maybe I'll meet you in Lilycove. You should call more often, too."

"I will. I just wanted to give you a little space after everything." I sighed and looked at the sky again. "All right, Tiran Terrar, I think it's time we called this to an end. You, young man, need rest, and I need to head as far East as I can get before dark comes."

"Sounds good Lucy Spalding. I'll see what I can do here, good bye."

"Bye."

I looked into the mostly clear path before me and tiredly marched on. Knowing about what Tiran had been up to – or the lack thereof – was both a relief and a concern. He was okay, or as okay as he could be, and I decided that it had to be enough.

* * *

**A/N:** Gasp! Delu is updating within the same month as her last one? Yes, it's true! ... All right, all right, enough of my silliness. It's good to be back, guys. And, as you can see from the super-duper long chapter up there, my Writer's Block is alleviated! Can I get a huzzah? **Dodectron**, I wanted to apologize for it taking so long to insert your OC from winning the contest I held forever ago. I hope I did her justice; forgive my bad timing skills? I want to thank **fffan231** for being my new Beta; she hasn't started yet (as I was too damned impatient to get this chapter out), but she's the one who got that oh-so prestigious title. Let's all wish her patience with this beast, yeah?

**Reviewers of Awesome:** AlanAB100, EliteDog, Lightning-Alchemist-Rini, Nevin Slate, Hironada, Lily Vivi Nekoyama, IcyFeather12, ChaoticXXHearts, Librarian00X, Drewbie, and Soulful Plain Strider.

**Also:** **100k **words. I feel like throwing an imaginary party and you all are invited. ^^


	25. Twenty Fourth Follow

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Four:**

_Thank Arceus! _I gasped in my head as I stumbled away from a thicket of trees. I'd been walking for two hours in the dark on Route 120 and had become more lost than I thought was possible. But, thankfully, I'd found my way back to the original path – no thanks to some trainers who'd rather battle me than help me – and ahead of me a large, white brick building was planted in the middle of the humid overgrowth I'd come to know so very well. I could barely see the thing, massive though it was, due to the little amount of light Vexyl was giving off from the ember that he'd sparked.

"Thanks, Vex," I sighed, weary from a long day of fighting and travel. Between training, the Gym, Tiran's revelation, and the lack of concrete navigational skills, I was _tired_. I groped at Vex's ball blindly and returned him with a flash of light before knocking on the doors to the building. Hopefully the people in this building would have more graciousness than the few trainers I'd encountered on my way here.

"Just a second!" Someone called out from the other side of the doors. I nodded unconsciously and leant up against the side of the building, letting my eyes droop. I'd checked my PokéNav a couple of hours ago so I knew, by now, that it was an ungodly time in the middle of the night. The door next to my face rattled a little before being pulled open and a man in something that resembled an army uniform came into my line of sight. "Hullo, I'm Geoffrey of the Safari Zone Rangers. What can I do for you?" As he said this, his eyes glanced over me and I could tell he was seeing the exhaustion etched into my every pour.

"Hi, I'm Lucy," I started slowly, trying to work myself off the wall. It was difficult, though, as now that my body had the support it didn't want to give it up. "Dammit," I cursed when I nearly fell.

Geoffrey sighed and ushered me into the building with a hand at my shoulder. "Come in, come in. No worries, we get trainers out here all the time looking for a place to spend the night at," he told me. As he lead me to a back room with a few cot already set up, I had to believe him. "Most of the time, though, they come at a more reasonable hour."

I couldn't be bothered to feel embarrassment at that and simply nodded at his accusation. We got to the cot I supposed I was to sleep in and he said something that I didn't hear before turning to leave. I sat down heavily on the thin mattress and promptly collapsed. I was asleep before my head could hit the pillow.

* * *

As bright sunlight pooled across my face, I groaned and curled up tighter on my little cot.

"None of that, now," a voice reprimanded me. I sleepily opened one eye to glare at the intruder, but all I got was an eyeful of fuzz. I blinked before realizing that I didn't have my glasses on – _when did I take those off?_ – and groped blindly around me for them. A sigh came from the general direction of the voice and the next thing I knew my glasses were in my hands. I gratefully put them on before looking up at both my rescuer and my nemesis. He did, after all, wake me from my sleep and that was bound to hold no sympathy from me.

"What time is it?" I asked the voice, who, it turned out, was Geoffrey.

"About half passed ten," he supplied. "I let you sleep as long as I could, seeing as you came in far later than most do, but the Safari Zone has regulations about the allowance of letting trainers spend the night and you have to be gone by noon. I figured you'd want something to eat and a shower before you were on your way."

I nodded at him. "Yeah, thanks. And did you say the Safari Zone?" I had vague memories of what the area looked like on my Game Boy and was intrigued about what it would be like in real life.

"That's right," Geoffrey grinned at me. "We're Hoenn's only Safari Zone and the only place in the region where you can capture whichever Pokémon you want without the possibility of it being infected by the Rabies Virus."

"So a trainer could go in there and capture as many Pokémon as they want…?" I asked, trying to peer out the window behind him.

"Well, no," he shook his head. "See, we don't want to run the risk of every trainer coming here and relying on us for their full team of Pokémon. So we say you're only allowed to capture one per area of the Zone. As it is, we've gotten twice the amount of trainers than usual since the epidemic hit," he sighed sadly.

"I don't suppose I could head in there after I get cleaned up, could I?" I asked hopefully. A new Pokémon might fill out the team a little better, make it a little more rounded. And besides, the thought that I could capture at my own will was pleasing.

"Actually, no. We've already got about twenty trainers in there right now and that's our maximum, as per the new regulations." He shrugged. "If you want to come by another time, though, we might have a spot empty for you."

My hopes diminished a little at that by I shrugged it off. "All right, maybe later then, if I'm back out this way." I stood up and stretched. "Now, where was this food you promised me?" That got a laugh out of him and he led me to the staff kitchens.

* * *

I left the Safari Zone not long after that, itching to move on now that I knew I couldn't capture a new teammate. It was probably for the best anyway – I did still have Callie to deal with, after all, and the Pokémon in the Safari Zone would have needed to be trained up as well.

After I left, I checked my PokéNav to look over what the next section of Hoenn held. As my eyes wandered across the screen I was given momentary pause at the words "Mt. Pyre." Mt. Pyre was the singular part of Hoenn where a trainer could go to mourn their passed Pokémon. My mouth dried and I glanced up at the dock that was the ferry launch over to the mountain, only about three dozen yards from where I was at. I thought for a moment before making my way to the pier. Calling out Copper, I climbed onto her back and we silently made our way over to the memorial.

"Thanks, Cop," I told my Gyarados as I recalled her. She roared at me before disappearing into her ball. I took a deep breath before entering.

"Greetings," a woman said to me once I entered. She was standing behind a counter just left of the entrance and wearing a traditional Japanese kimono in white.

"Hullo," I said back as I looked at the various people in the room. It was astonishing to see just how widespread the influence of Pokémon was. I'd gotten so used to just seeing trainers with them that I'd almost forgotten that other people cared for them as well.

"Are you here to grieve for your lost Pokémon?" the woman asked.

"Yes, but I'm afraid I don't have any incents," I admitted as I watched an old man and a young girl crowd over an inscribed stone.

"that's not problem," she said. "How many have passed?" she asked, her voice kind.

"Six," I responded, their names automatically flashing through my head. She shuffled behind her desk before producing six wooden sticks, the incents absorbed into them.

"Here, take these," she handed them over to me.

"Uh… how much do I owe you?"

"There's no charge for trainers," she shook her head before turning sad eyes on the civilians who mourned their lost Pokémon. "Normal people… their Pokémon are pets, friends even. But to trainers they're family, companions in a life unlike any other. It's like losing a part of yourself when they're gone."

I nodded. That was exactly how it felt. "How many have you lost?" I asked her. Only someone in such a position could describe the pure anguish so well.

"Four, including the one I started with," she replied, her voice echoing with long passed grief. She looked over her shoulder as a Gastly appeared. "This is her child, Kirimi. She's all I have left."

"I'm sorry," I said, truly meaning it. She shook her head at me.

"I've come to accept it. As trainers, I believe we have to accept that it all happens for a reason. After all, if I had not lost them, I could not understand others' grief and help them with hit." I nodded again; sometimes the only way to survive is to believe that there's a purpose behind it. "Kirimi will lead you to your ceremonial markers." The Gastly floated through her to float next to me.

"Thank you," I said before following her Pokémon up a flight of stairs. She led me to a secluded section in the back before leaving.

I knelt down and arranged the incents before grabbing a Pokéball from my belt. Vexyl appeared, his tall frame standing steady for a moment before sitting down next to me, cross legged. Without a word he lit the wicks and we rested back against the wall. I knew this meant as much to him as it did to me. After all, he was there for each and every one of their deaths and understood the comradeship on a level that none of my other Pokémon could. Yes, there was Jesus, but I knew she viewed each of us as a family that fought together and not as companions who grew into a family. Vexyl understood the difference.

We sat there for a while until the incents had burned themselves out and a sense of peace pervaded us. I left Vex out as I cleaned up and we headed back. Once we got downstairs I could tell at once that something was wrong. The half dozen people who were there before were nowhere in sight and the shrine keeper I had talked to was looking frantic and indecisively between her Gastly and a door on the far side of the room.

"What's going on?" I asked, walking up to her with Vex at my side.

She turned to us, the relief clear on her face. "Thank goodness you're still here," she said breathlessly. "A group of men in these strange uniforms appeared out of nowhere, demanding to know where the Sacred Orbs were!" her tone took on a deep concern.

"Was the uniform red or blue?" I asked as I headed to the exit, my Blaziken following along loyally.

"There were two – the first one red, the second blue," she explained hastily. "But the red ones have left already!"

I thought for a minute before pursing my lips. Team Magma had already gotten away, but Team Aqua was still here. I could stop them, at least. "Did they go through this door?" I gestured.

"Yes. Please, you have to save them – the Orbs are hallowed! They're not supposed to be apart!"

"I'll try," I promised. "You just stay here and out of sight." She nodded and scurried away. As Vex and I headed through the doorway, I berated myself.

_I can't believe I forgot this_, I thought as the doorway deposited us onto the fog coated mountainside. _I could have prevented this if I'd just gotten to them first._ Unfortunately with my memory being so shoddy on the details of Pokémon's Hoenn region, I couldn't accurately predict _anything_ anymore. _How am I supposed to help when I don't know what's going on?_ I asked myself as we climbed up some rocky stairs.

"Hey, you!" someone shouted ahead of me. I looked up and about ten feet away from me where two Team Aqua lackeys glaring at me in a supposedly menacing way. But after all the bullshit they'd put me through so far, I wasn't fazed by it in the slightest. "Get away from here!"

"Yeah, you don't want to mess with Team Aqua!" the female stated, crossing her arms in what should have been an intimidating manner. I rolled my eyes at their bravado. I wasn't at all impressed with their audacity at imposing upon what this world saw as holy ground.

"Yeah, well you don't want to mess with me," I told them, my temper coming to the forefront. I knew it was a stupid move but I couldn't stop myself; they were trespassing on a place dedicated to mourning those who were loved and now gone. Some part of me connected that with them insulting the memories I had of my own Pokémon and I couldn't stand it.

"What did you just say?" the male grunt sneered. Beside me, Vex growled, drawing their attention. "I think we oughta teach her a lesson, don't you?" The two of them chuckled before throwing out their respective Pokéballs. "Go, Poochyena!"

"Go, Zubat!" the other grunt called.

I frowned and jerked my head at Vex. "Go on, Vex," I told him as I grabbed my own Pokéball from my belt. Tossing it out, I said, "All right, guys, let's get through them quickly."

"Gardev," Jesus agreed.

"Poochyena, bite!" one of the grunts yelled.

"Zubat, Confuse Ray!"

"Guys," I called to my team. "Sweep up this trash." I was confident in their ability to assess the situation, so I wasn't so worried about giving them direct orders. Sure enough, Vex took a running start and leapt over the oncoming Poochyena before pivoting back in a double kick, his quick feet landing on the dark type before it even had a chance to change direction.

"Yena!," it cried out as Vex smashed it into a nearby boulder.

"Shit," the grunt said. "Poochyena, return!" Its dark little body was sucked back into the beam of red light and I turned my attention to my Psychic type only to catch the tail end of her Shockwave. The Zubat let out a weak whimper as it fainted and its trainer recalled her. Before either of the lackeys could make a move to call out their next Pokémon, a shout was heard from ahead and my eyes caught the back of what must have been Archie. I tried to dash passed the guards I was fighting, but they were having none of it.

"Not so fast, girlie," the male grunt called. "We ain't done with you yet." He and his friend had already ordered out their next Pokémon, a Carvanha and a Wailmer.

I scowled at him. "My name. Isn't. _Girlie_," I growled. "J, take 'em out with another Shockwave!" I ordered

"Wailmer, Rollout!" my female opponent called.

"Carvanha, Crunch!"

But their tactics were pointless. With all the training I'd put my Pokémon through recently, Jesus was faster by far and they stood no chance. "Gar-_dev_!" she shouted as she released a powerful electrical wave at our competitors. Her aim was dead on and the two water types jerked spasmodically, their shouts unintelligible.

"Sonuva – " the guy exclaimed. He and his companion glanced at each other.

"Wailmer, return!"

"Carvanha, return!"

I recalled my own Pokémon and looked up just in time to see them quickly running off, their figurative tales between their legs. My anger hadn't dulled any – and I was, in fact, _angrier_ after the fight than I had been before it, but it was no time to simmer on that fact and I rushed passed our impromptu battlefield and up the stairs. As I reached the summit, I came face to face with Archie. The last time I'd seen him was on top of Mt. Chimney and I had to say he hadn't changed much. But there _was_ something – something in his eyes, an almost manic gleam as he caught sight of me.

"Ah, Lucy," he drawled, that almost-Brooklyn like accent accentuated by the smug arrogance underneath. In his hand, the red orb glowed faintly as he tossed it up and down. "A little late for the heroics, don't you think?" he questioned in a voice that said he knew something I didn't.

Unfortunately for him, I knew exactly what was going on due to the shrine keeper's help. "Just because I wasn't fast enough to stop Maxie doesn't mean I can't stop you," I told him. The smile dropped from his face.

"Unfortunately for you, you won't be getting that chance today," he commented. As he said it, I was grabbed from behind and my arms were twisted behind my back.

"Umph," I grunted as I was forced onto my knees. I swiftly looked over my shoulder and saw the two grunts I'd fought off earlier, nasty smirks on their faces. "Bastard," I snarled at Archie as he lazily strolled by me.

"I don't see why you oppose me so, Lucy," he said, tossing the orb between his hands. "You've proven yourself to be a great battler; you would be a worthy addition to Team Aqua. You could even get your revenge upon Team Magma for what they've done to you…" he tempted as he squatted down in front of me. A ball of ice formed in my gut.

"How did you know about that?" I asked him quietly.

He chuckled darkly at me. "As if Maxie doesn't brag about his… accomplishments." He quirked his bandana'd head at me. "As if he doesn't believe that's the 'right way' to go about things."

I clenched my jaw. "No matter what they did to me, that's no reason to join up with someone out to end the world," I told him. I wouldn't lie, the offer tempted me. To be able to get back at the person who took so much from me? I don't think anyone could have refused without at least thinking about it first. But I couldn't do that to Roxie and Minnow – it would disrespect their memories.

"Team Aqua is not out to end the world," Archie almost snarled, standing up quickly and glaring down at me. "We are trying to preserve and expand the aquatic regions of the world – to allow water Pokémon the freedom that they deserve!" He spun away from me and gestured sharply at his recruits. Glaring at me one last time, he marched past me and down the stairs; his lackeys pushed me face first into the ground as they went to follow him.

I rubbed my sore arms before looking back over my shoulder, only to find the dense fog and craggy stairs. They were gone, and I did nothing to stop them.

"Are you okay?" an elderly voice asked me as wrinkled, dry hands grasped the hand I had on my arm. I turned to look at the old woman and nodded at her concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I stood. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner," I apologized. She kindly shook her head at me as her husband sidled up to her.

"We're just glad you weren't hurt!" she exclaimed. "But those men – they took the Orbs! The two are never meant to be apart; legends say that only bad things could come of it!"

"I'm going to try and get them back for you," I told her. "But – do you know where they were headed?" Without my foresight into the situation it would be difficult trying to halt the progress of either of the villainous teams.

"Oh, yes!" she rummaged around in a great knapsack at her side. "The first ones, they called themselves Magma, they dropped this," she handed me a small, flat object in the shape of the M that the devil costumes had on their fronts. I took it and was surprised at just how heavy it felt in my hand. As the metal cooled my palm, a rush went through me and the shadow of a memory clicked in my head.

"_Dammit," my cousin cursed as he jammed his thumb over the A button. "C'mon, you damn Grunt, die already!" I'd been watching him play through his borrowed copy of Emerald for awhile now and sighed in envy. He'd gotten all the way back to Mt. Chimney for the confrontation with Magma, but I could tell he wasn't going to fare well. He didn't have a water type on his team and Maxie was just about kicking his ass. "This sucks," he grimaced as I watched him switch the game off. I rolled my eyes. __Impatient bastard, all you need to do is train._

"Mt. Chimney…" I muttered in remembrance.

"What was that?" the woman asked me as I came out of the memory. I shook my head lightly to clear the fuzz from my head.

"They're going to Mt. Chimney," I told her. "Magma is, at least." I looked her in the eyes and saw the staggering amount of concern she held for these events. "I'll do my best to get them back," I promised.

"Thank you, child, thank you," she said, grasping my hand firmly in hers. I nodded and turned away before making my way quickly down the mountainside and back into the memorial. The shrine keeper peeked her head from around a corner I had not noticed before and dashed to me when I was in her line of sight.

"They left just a moment ago," she said hurriedly. She paused and took a deep breath before shocking me with her next action. "Thank you for trying to save the orbs," she bowed to me.

"But I didn't get there in time," I negated, waving off her praise. She lifted herself.

"All that matters is that you tried," she told me. She withdrew something from her voluminous robe and presented it to me in her palm. "I hope you'll take this. It's a Cleanse Tag that will keep away the bad spirits – as well as a few wild Pokémon. I feel that you will need it, and that you deserve it for both what you've been through and for what you've done today. Thank you," she bowed again.

"I – " I swallowed, my mouth becoming dry. "Thanks," I told her. "I'll do my best." I returned her bow clumsily, pressing my glasses to my face to keep them from falling off. I took the Cleanse Tag and wrapped it around my wrist several times to keep it from falling before turning to the door and leaving.

As I released Copper and made my way back to the mainland, I was frantically trying to come up with a plan to save the Orbs from the clutches of both Aqua and Magma. I didn't have a Pokémon that could fly me out there and didn't really know where to get one, either. I called Copper back into her ball and as I tucked it away on my belt my hand brushed my bag – right where my PokéNav was. My eyes widened.

"Maybe…" I said to myself. "Maybe Tiran… No," I shook my head. He was already in bad shape and too far away to do anything. A certain other white haired male I knew popped into my head. "Morgan's close enough to Mt. Chimney to do it."

It was a logical conclusion to come to, I knew that. But I hesitated after I'd highlighted his number in my Nav. Morgan had been through all this before – been through it and hurt for it. Was it fair for me to ask this of him? I rubbed the back of my hand over my forehead before putting my Nav back in my pack. I'd get to Lilycove first, _then_ I'd make the decision. As I took in the long, winding route of long grass ahead of me, I sighed. _Today is going to be a long day_.

* * *

After I'd gotten through the throng of trainers that littered Route 121, I'd headed to the Pokémon Center at once. Both my party of Pokémon and I were tired from the long two days we'd had and I for one looked forward to sleeping on one of the nice, soft couches that littered the Center. I shivered as the door to the outside world closed behind my back; winter was coming, apparently, and coming fast. I'd already pulled my jacket over my tank top, but it did little to negate the chill. Walking up to the counter, I lay my belt across it.

"Can I get them healed, please?" I asked the Nurse behind the station.

"Of course," she said before looking up from the screen she was working at. Her brows furrowed when she saw me and I looked down at myself. True, I had dirt stains on my long shorts from where I'd been pushed to the ground by Team Aqua, but otherwise I thought I looked okay.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her, curious.

"Oh, no! Of course not," she shook her head, taking my belt. "It's just that I don't see many trainer's wearing so little clothes so close to winter," she shrugged at me.

I arched a brow. "Just how cold does it get around here, anyway?" I asked. Sure, it was a little chilly outside, but nothing worse than November weather by my estimation.

"Not from around here, are you?" she asked lightly. "At night it can get down into the thirties. If you're not careful you could end up very sick," she tsk'd at me as she took the balls from my belt and handed it back to me.

"But it's only September!" I exclaimed.

"Silly girl," she laughed at me as she loaded her healing machine with my Pokéballs. "Hoenn' s temperature varies more severely than most other regions. Well, except for Sinnoh, that is," she shrugged.

"Oh," I replied, a bit stupidly if I admitted it to myself. "Well, is there a market around here, then?" I asked, thinking about the last one I'd been to in Slateport.

"Oooh, yes!" she gushed. "The Lilycove Pokémon Supermart is the biggest in the region! If there's anything you want, surely the Mart has it," she nodded emphatically. "It's just on the north side of town."

"Thanks," I said – both because she was finished healing my Pokémon and for the shopping advice.

After that, I asked for a blanket and secured myself a spot on the isolated couch in the corner of the room. I tucked my bag under the sofa before taking out my PokéNav once more. I fiddled with it for a moment before sighing and bringing up my contact list. I highlighted Morgan's name and hesitated again before hitting the dial button. It rang a couple of times.

"C'mon, Morgan, I don't know how much time we have," I muttered.

"Lucy," Morgan finally greeted as the ringing stopped.

"Hey," I replied.

"To what do I owe this call?" he asked, his voice light. I nearly winced; I really didn't want to ruin his good mood, but he needed to know what was going on.

"Unfortunately it's not on personal business," I sighed. I could almost feel him stiffen on the other end of the line.

"Has something happened?"

"Yeah," I said. I sighed again before filling him in on the situation.

"Hm," he hummed darkly. "So they've stolen the Sacred Orbs. Do you know where they're headed?" he asked.

"Magma is going back to Mt. Chimney – it's where their headquarters is located," I informed him. "One of the elders that guarded the Orbs gave me an emblem in the shape of Team Magma's logo. I think… I think I remember it being a key to something," I said. My memory was still shoddy but a few things stood out to me, this being one of them. "Listen, I can't get out there quick enough to stop them, and I have Team Aqua to deal with here – "

"And you want me to fight in your place," he supplied.

"I know it's a lot to ask, what with everything you've already done trying to – to "fight off evil doers" and whatever, but – " he cut me off again and I was tempted to huff, just for the sake of being childish.

"'Fight off evil doers'?" he asked, his voice practically dripping with the effort to keep from laughing.

"Oh shut up," I demanded, hunching down into the couch.

"Whatever you say," he agreed, chuckling deeply at me. I let him have his moment to laugh before he sobered himself up. "Lucy, I fought Team Rocket a long time ago. _My_ wounds have healed; I just want to make sure you don't go through the same thing," he told me. My heart jerked at his concern.

"I'll be fine, Morgan," I said softly. "I can take care of myself."

"As can I," he said back.

"Yeah, I get it. It's just –" I took a breath. "I know it sounds silly, but you're the closest thing I have to a – a best friend," I told him. "God that sounds ridiculous. You're what, thirty something? You don't want some kid calling you their 'best friend.'" I rolled my eyes.

"You're right, I wouldn't," he agreed. A part of me clenched unpleasantly. Like I said, it was silly, but he really was as close to a best friend as I think I've ever come. Sure, here I had Stephanie, Tiran was like a brother and Eric reminded me of my dad. But Morgan – well, he was my best friend. But if he didn't want – "But you're not a kid, Luce." I let out a breath.

"Thanks, Morgan. I think I needed that," I told him.

"Yeah, I thought you might have," he said. Again, I could hear the laugh in his voice.

"I hate you, did you know that?" I informed him.

"Yes, figured it out a while ago, actually." There was a break in conversation as we both took a breather. "Be careful with Aqua, Lucy," he warned me.

"You know I will. You be careful, too, old man," I snarked.

"You know I will," he snarked back. A smile came to my face and for the first time in a long while, I thought everything might be okay, if only for a little while.

* * *

**A/N:** Two and a half months. Dear lord, _two and a half months_. I'm so sorry! I just - I got out of Pokemon for a while and couldn't get back in. I fully place the blame on Star Trek. The Original Series, people - it's friggin' _hilarious_. And the Reboot movie from '09! Gosh. All right, I'll stop fangirling now. Promise. So, what do you guys think about the chapter? Thoughts, feelings, raging, burning love? Lol, just kidding. Sort of.

To the reviewers who are love: **Soulful Plain Strider, Eeveelutionluvr, EliteDog, Librarian00X, ChaoticXXHearts, IcyFeather12, ShadowKiba3112, Drewbie, Lily Vivi Nekoyama, **and** Akai Hoshi Neko**.

Also, guys: 200 REVIEWS IS ONLY 10 REVIEWS AWAY. C'MON NOW, WE CAN DO THIS!

P.S: I'd like to shoutout to you guys about **Librarian00X**'s own Nuzlocke fic, **One Step Forward**. It's of Leaf Green and so far it's amazing. You should check it out!


	26. Twenty Fifth Tantamount

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Twenty Five:**

I woke up in the morning due to a _thud_. Not because someone had closed a door too loudly, but because I had rolled off the couch while I slept.

"Ugh…" I groaned, rolling off my now bruised shoulder. After the throbbing in my arm stopped, I realized I was shivering and pulled my blanket tighter around myself. Blearily, I opened my eyes and scrubbed my hands over them before grabbing for my glasses. "Mmph," I huffed before pushing myself up to my hands and knees. The thin manufactured carpet was cold beneath my palms and I realized just what Nurse Joy was talking about last night. "Man, she wasn't kidding about the cold," I shivered.

It didn't take me long to locate my thin, short sleeved jacket from my pack; it also didn't take me long to realize that it did nothing to keep the chill away. I ate breakfast and soon after changing into my warmest clothes – the jacket, two tank tops, and my bike shorts under the set of red cargo pants I'd gotten from Stephanie what seemed like forever ago – I realized they weren't enough. After scarfing down a pile of microwave pancakes and getting clearer directions from Joy, I headed out into the big city of Lilycove.

The first thing I felt when I exited the Center was the icy wind coming off the vast ocean to the East. The wind whipped around my head and my vision was obscured by my unfamiliarly long hair. "Arceus, this place is bipolar," I said aloud, curling in on myself, unsuccessfully trying to fend off the blustery wind. "Left, left left," I repeated to myself the directions Joy had given me, jogging along the tiled walkways of the tourist city. I took a left at the next walkway and skipped every other step on the stairs I came upon in my hurry to get warm. I'd never really liked the cold and couldn't believe I'd never heard of Hoenn's bipolarity before. I took another left once I was done with the stairs and ahead of me loomed Lilycove's magnificent Pokémart.

To be honest, it was a beautiful sight. As with the rest of Lilycove, this building was done up in mosaic and brick, quaint even in its massive size. I'd seen the top of it yesterday when I'd arrived in town and so while it was expected, it was still unexpected. What was also unexpected was a head of white hair and the Hoenn's male trainer uniform blocking the doorway. Bracing myself, I walked up behind the figure and tapped him on his shoulder.

"Hm?" Brendan blinked red eyes at me before recognition set in. "Lucy, hey!"

"Hey, Birch," I replied, nodding at him.

"It's been a while," he smiled. "Haven't seen you since…" he trailed off and guilt clouded his face. He opened his mouth to say something – something along the lines of, 'I'm so sorry for your Numel,' or, 'I really didn't mean to' – but I cut him off. It had been a few weeks since I'd had those terrible two days, and with the recent trip to Mt. Pyre my emotions had calmed from the tumult they'd been in.

"Don't worry about it, Brendan," I waved him off. I even managed a smile to him, just before the freezing wind blew my hair in front of my glasses once more. As I shivered and swiped away the black locks, I saw Brendan doing the same.

"Hey, listen, I'm gonna get going. I'm nearly done with the research my dad wanted, so I'm going to head back to Littleroot." He rubbed a hand over the back of his head, the hair ruffling even more. "Listen, Lucy. I know we started out on the wrong foot, but…"

"What, and now you want to be friends?" I asked sarcastically, grin edging up on my face involuntarily. He scowled at me.

"No! Just – oh never mind," he huffed, crossing his arms. The wind blew again and I shivered hard. My 'rival' blinked at me and made an 'o' with his mouth. "You're cold, aren't you?"

"No, I'm freaking sweating," I rolled my eyes as I curled tighter around myself.

"You don't have to be so damn defensive all the time, you know," he scowled. "Just… go inside or something."

"I would, but you're blocking the door," I pointed out. He huffed at me before moving aside. I walked passed him and up to the automatic door but paused just before I entered, despite my freezing appendages protestations. "Hey, Birch," I called out as he turned to walk away.

"Hm?" he looked back at me.

"Keep in touch, yeah?" I quirked a brow at him.

He looked surprised for a moment before smirking at me. "And what makes you think I want to talk to you?" he laughed before turning and finally walking away. I shook my head after him, amused despite myself, before entering the gratefully heated market. I sighed in relief as feeling started to seep back into my body. I looked around before heading to one of the information booths on the far wall.

"Excuse me," I asked the woman behind the counter. "Where can I find trainer's clothing?"

"Third floor," she provided promptly. "Female's on the left, male's on the right."

"Thanks." I immediately headed up the stairs – ignoring the elevator that had a line of people waiting for it – and skipped every few steps in my haste for warmer clothes. I got there after a few minutes – the heavy exercise I'd gotten from all my hiking having improved my physic over the last however long I'd been here – and headed off to the women's gear.

I didn't spend long in the Mart, vast and well endorsed though it was. I knew I needed to get going as quickly as possible, since I wasn't sure just _when_ things would be going down in this timeline. I was vaguely aware of the fact that I'd have to do something about them in the cove just to the East of town, but I couldn't remember what it was I had to do. I sighed in frustration as I went to check out. I'd found temperature appropriate clothing fine – long black pants, a red jacket coated with a downy liner and a mandarin collar, a scarf the same green as my pack, and a new pair of gloves – and even procured a set of waterproof boots since I knew I'd be travelling a long way on water soon.

As I checked out at the counter, I tuned in to the television that was mounted to the wall, and narrowed my eyes in surprise.

"_This just in!"_ the female newscaster announced hurriedly, _"The notorious Team Aqua has struck once more on the bustling shores of Slateport. As we all remember, the last time they were spotted in this section of Hoenn, they had attempted to steal specialized submarine parts from the region's own Captain Stern, but were buffeted by a good Samaritan. This time the mariner wasn't so lucky_," the screen split into two, showing Slateport's marina and an anxious Captain Stern. _"Early this morning the ne'er-do-wells came back upon learning that Stern had completed the construction of his submarine and took the machine by force. They made off with the ship and have not been spotted since. If you have information, please call –"_ she went on, but I stopped paying attention and hurriedly turned back to my cashier.

"Can I wear these out of the store?" I asked anxiously. There was no more time to waste, I had to get going, and as soon as I possibly could.

"I, um, suppose so," she said, confused at my sudden change of emotion. "You're total is going to be 5200 pokébucks," she informed me. I grabbed the bills from my pack - a small sum compared to the amount I'd accumulated over my journey – and nodded at her in thanks before heading to the fitting rooms to change. I pulled off the tags and threw my rumpled clothing into my bag before leaving.

I ran down the stairs, jumping as many as I could, and made it out of the building in under two minutes as I tied my scarf around my neck. I jerked my head left and right quickly before taking off and dodging through people on the walkways. It took me a minute to find the shoreline and make my way down it, but once I did I could clearly see the cave that I knew Aqua had set up in just up the bay.

"Copper!" I called out as I tossed her Pokéball. "Let's make this quick, we have to get over there," I pointed as my Gyarados emerged from her ball. She roared her agreement, probably sensing my urgency, and I climbed atop her. I settled myself just as she took off, creating waves that crashed around us. As we rounded the bend of Lilycove's edge, our destination became clear; there, just at the far end of the bay, was an unmistakable cave entrance. I tried to see what was going on inside of it, but the strong sunlight made it impossible. Grasping on tightly to Copper's fins, I steeled myself for what was to come.

I didn't know – didn't _remember_ – exactly what happened during this part of the game. All I knew for sure was that I was about to risk everything to stop Team Aqua – that meant my life and my Pokémon's lives. As we came nearer to the cave, a spike of uncertainty swept through me. I didn't want to lose anyone else.

_I can't_.

I'd try my damnedest to make it out alive.

_I have to_.

I wouldn't let my Pokémon get hurt because of whatever insane task I was here for.

_I won't_.

We reached the cave entrance and I took a deep breath before ordering Copper in. _I can do this. __We__ can do this. Just trust them, Lucy. They know what they're doing._

"Copper, return," I called after we hit the dock inside Aqua's hideout. She disappeared in a red flash just as a voice called out to me.

"Hey, you there, stop!" I turned to the Aqua Grunt and pursed my lips.

_We can do this_.

* * *

"Crap!" I shrieked as I landed hard on my back. "Ugh," I groaned, sitting up and running a hand over my bruised muscles. That hadn't been the first time I'd fallen in Aqua's god forsaken warehouse, and I was certain it wasn't going to be the last.

Unfortunately for me, I had soon come to realize that the sci-fi-esque teleportation panels in the hideout weren't just Game Freak's imagination gone wild. No, they were very real and _very_ painful. I'd found the first one just after I finished off the Grunt at the entrance to the hideout, and had been (understandably) weary at the glowing patch of flooring. When I stepped on it I felt a bit like I was boarding the U.S.S. Enterprise – though that feeling didn't last for long. The next thing I knew, I was being tugged in every direction – like I was in a bag, being vacuum sealed. My skin prickled painfully, but thankfully it was over quickly.

That had been ten minutes and five panels ago.

Pulling myself up from the floor, I glanced around the new room I found myself in. Next to me were the same human sized crates that the rest of the hideout seemed to have, and from the corner of my eye I spotted a round object resting on a steel table. Standing, I made my way over to the table and picked the thing up. Rolling it in my hands, I figured it must have been some sort of Pokéball; it was purple on top, with pink circles, and a large silver M emblazoned on it.

"Huh… why does this seem so familiar?" I asked myself before a noise struck my ears. _K-chink! Chhhhu-ink!_ "What the - ?" I spun and darted around the crates only to find myself face to face with two large, battling Electrodes. Sparks flung wildly about as they crashed into each other, filling the air with a sense of static.

"Eleeee!" the larger one roared before sending a strong blast of energy at its opponent – a sonic boom. The opposing Pokémon fainted with a pained groan and it was only then that I noticed that both of them were foaming steadily at the mouth. My eyes widened and I let out an, "Oh, shit," when the winning beast turned its bloodthirsty gaze at me. It charged me, the virus making it even angrier and more feral than most Pokémon would be, and I didn't have any time to pull a ball from my belt. Instead, I threw the mysterious one in my hand, hoping that I could, at the very least, distract it long enough for me to get away.

But, to my utmost surprise, the Electrode was quickly encased in the device, and a ding alerted me to its capture.

"Mew Almighty," I swore, sliding down the table as the adrenaline wore off. I straightened my glasses (which had become askew at some point) and warily shifted over to the deceptively calm M ball. I squinted in thought as I moved it about in my hands. "M ball… something's really familiar about all this…" I said before shaking my head and clipping the new Pokémon to my belt. I'd deal with that later. At that moment, what I really needed to do was find my way out of the maze I'd gotten caught in and find Archie and his goons.

I approached the teleporter, more than ready to leave the room, but still wary about the odd sensation I got from it. I held my breath as I stepped on the glowing pad and, sure enough, I got the sensation of being pulled in several directions all at once before finally appearing back in the long hallway I'd come from. On either side of me were two more pads and I sighed in frustration as I stepped on one – which led me to the other – then stepped on the other – which lead me to one about five feet ahead of me – and another – and another – and –

And then, finally, I'd found my way out of that damnable hallway and into (yet another) crate filled room. I snooped around a bit before finding another teleportation panel tucked into the back. Stepping on it, I crossed my fingers, hoping this would be the last one I'd have to deal with. I emerged five seconds later in an unfamiliar room with water lining one side, and I breathed a sigh of relief. _Finally_, I thought as I took a step forward. A familiar voice, though, made me pause in my stride. I leaned forward and peeked around the corner of the box obscuring my vision. Archie was there, as I thought he would be, but so was another guy – one that seemed sort of familiar to me, though I couldn't place from where.

"I want this place locked down after I'm gone, you got that, Mattie?" Archie ordered.

"All right, boss," the man – Mattie, I presumed – agreed gruffly.

"I don't need you screwin' up like you did in Rustboro. Knowing the little girl, she'll be along any minute," Archie scoffed. My eyes widened behind my glasses. Mattie was the one who'd tried to steal the Devon package way back in Rustboro. I scowled. _The one with the infected Poochyena._ I glanced down at the newest ball on my waist; it wouldn't have surprised me if Aqua was purposefully poisoning their Pokémon with the disease. _Or even…or even if they'd made it themselves_, I thought. I clenched my jaw and took a step forward just as Archie was about to step aboard a submarine – the same one from the newsflash on Captain Stern, I was certain.

"Archie!" I shouted, striding forward, hand at my waist. Aqua's leader turned to me with only a vague sense of surprise around him.

"Well if it isn't little Lucy," he sneered at me. "Hasn't anyone ever told you not to mess with your elders?"

"Maybe at one point," I shrugged nonchalantly, still glaring. "Doesn't mean I listen."

"Yeah, you don't seem like the type to," he agreed. It always seemed to be the way with me and him – acting like we were just having a nice civil conversation while all the while planning on ways to take each other down. To be honest, I was getting sick of it.

"I'm not gonna let you get away with this," I waved my arm around. "You think I don't know what you're doing here? About the virus?" At this point, I was just making wild accusations, but something in my gut told me it was true.

Archie glared. "You don't know what you're talkin' about, girlie," he spat. Barking at his subordinate, he said, "Get her outta my sight!"

"Yes, sir," Mattie scowled. He shifted in front of his boss as Archie hopped onto the sub and leapt down the porthole at the top. He turned to look at me one last time, his face glaring but a contemplative look in his eye.

"You could have been at the top, Lucy," he offered one last time. I narrowed my eyes further.

"Never."

"Suit yourself," he said. "Mattie, take care of her," he finished before descending fully into the boat and closing the hatch.

Mattie grinned darkly at me. "I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to me back in Rustboro."

"Yeah, don't think so," I shook my head, palming Gabriel's ball.

"Ugh! You'll pay for the humiliation I had to go through!" he shouted. "Mightyena, go!"

"Gabe, let's get him!" I tossed out the Great Ball and my little ghost appeared in a flash of light. Mattie's Mightyena seemed to tower over Gabe, though, and I could tell that its stature (and the foaming muzzle) intimidated my Pokémon. "Shake it off, Gabe, and give him a Rock Smash!" I ordered, knowing the fighting move would have an advantage over Mightyena's dark nature.

"Saaa," Gabe hissed as he darted forward and jabbed at the infected Mightyena. It howled as the full impact of the attack hit and staggered back.

"Swagger!" Mattie called at his Pokémon. The dog type leaned forward on its haunches, blood thirsty eyes taunting my Pokémon. I looked over at Gabriel and found that, unfortunately, the goad had worked. He'd stretched himself out to his tallest and was making slashing motions at our enemy, a few of them scraping at his own arms in his confusion and damaging him.

"C'mon, Gabe, snap out of it," I commanded. It didn't work, and I was forced to work with what I had. "Faint attack!"

"Sa-eye, eye!" Gabriel snarled, lashing out only to catch himself in the arm again. I gritted my teeth.

"Heh, heh, not so tough now, are you?" Mattie sneered at me. "Scary Face!"

"Miii!" his Pokémon howled, charging forward. It leapt into the air before catching Gabe under its paws, pinning him to the ground. "Miiighty," it growled, bits of foam and blood dripping onto my ghost's face.

"Gabriel, now!" I commanded, an idea coming to me. If Gabe kept hurting himself because he missed, how was I going to pass up an opportunity with the enemy right in reach? "Rock smash, as hard as you can!"

"Saaaable!" he crowed, jamming both of his claws into the soft belly of the Mightyena repeatedly. It yelped as it backed off, trying to get away from my enraged Pokémon. Unfortunately for it, Gabriel wasn't giving up. "Sa-sa-sa-sa," he taunted with each hit.

"Shit," Mattie swore, bringing out a Pokéball. "Mightyena, return," he growled. "Useless thing."

"Gabe, return," I recalled. Taking out the Mightyena had been enough, he needed to get over the confusion he was under.

"You think you're so tough, huh? Just 'cause you beat one of my Pokémon?" Mattie sneered at me.

"Same Pokémon a couple times over," I reminded him, satisfied when his face turned an ugly purple. But then he did something that really confused me: he smiled. It was nasty, and just as bloodthirsty and wicked as his Pokémon's had been. Suddenly, I was realizing just how far this guy would go to follow orders.

"I'm gonna enjoy it when I beat you," he said, the words coming out like an oil glazed promise. "You're gonna _wish_ you'd never messed with Team Aqua."

"Yeah?" I said, needing to keep up the confident pretense I'd already made. "Gotta beat me first."

"Go, Golbat!" he released his second Pokémon. I let a small smile slip onto my face. Golbat would be easy to defeat, what with its disadvantageous flying type and the fact that Jesus knew Shock wave. I palmed her familiar ball and enlarged it.

"Go, Je – " I was cut off by a second flash of light, this one coming from my waist. My eyes widened when I caught sight of my recently acquired, infected Electrode. _Or maybe not so infected_, I thought in confusion when I didn't catch sight of a foaming mouth; it tilted back toward me and, sure enough, its eyes were clear and conscious, even if it seemed to be itching for a fight. I warily lowered J's ball and looked between the enemy Golbat and my Electrode. "All right," I said to it. "Show me what you've got."

"Eleee," it growled confidently before zooming forward. Then, before it knew it, the electric type had somehow managed to lift itself into the air, screeching a high-pitched version of its name, and gathering electricity around itself. "Trode!" it yelled as the energy released in a vicious version of Spark. The attack hit head on, knocking the Golbat out of the air and sending it careening into the water pit just behind its master's shoulder.

"Shit!" Mattie exclaimed, face contorting in anger. "That thing's one of ours, you petty little thief!"

My eyes narrowed and I let out an angry grimace. "_I'm_ the thief?" I bit out. "Why you sonuva –"

"Team Aqua will have its day!" Mattie cut me off, grabbing something from inside his vest and tossing it at me. My new Electrode zipped in front of me, a form of protection I didn't expect, and I threw my arms in front of my face. But the object didn't hit either of us, instead exploding into a smokescreen that veiled our sight. I coughed and spluttered as the smoke made its way into my lungs and I frantically waved my hands around, trying to dissipate the gas. By the time the smog had cleared, my eyes were watering behind my glasses and Mattie was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit," I coughed out, hunching over my bent knees. "Sneaky bastard," I grumbled. Beside me, Electrode buzzed in agreement. I turned to him – her – it and blinked a few times. "So what am I going to do with you?" I asked rhetorically. To my surprise, it answered. Well, as much as a Pokémon _can_ answer.

"Ele, Electrode," it nodded at me, large eyes and smirking mouth as serious as I think it could be.

"Mmm, what?" I asked, tilting my head down at it.

"Ele – ele!" it spun rapidly around me before bumping up against my leg.

Off balance, I answered, "Okay! Okay, I get it. So you want to keep on with me, yeah?"

"Electrode!" it grinned widely, electricity buzzing around him. I twitched a little, the static causing the hair on the back of my neck to rise unpleasantly.

"All right, well if we're gonna do that, you'll need a name." I bit my lip as I looked it over. "So, I'm guessing you're a… guy?" I asked warily, not wanting to get shocked. He answered me with a low buzz. "Okay, then how about Nero?" I asked.

"Ele!" he screeched happily, causing me to wince and force out a grin.

"Glad you like it," I responded once he was done. Looking around, I realized that we were still in the loading dock of the headquarters. The only way out was the nasty teleporters I'd already had too much of. "Fantastic," I drawled sarcastically. "All right, Nero, back you go," I called as I returned him to his Pokéball. Walking up to the pad, I sighed and stepped on the glowing platform. _At least that's over with_.

* * *

**A/N:** Heh... so it's been, what, approximately two months? Mmm, yeah. Sorry. But at least there's a new chapter up! And Lucy gets to kick some ass and steal some Pokemon! That's gotta count for something, right?...pleasedon'tkillme.

**Reviewers:** IcyFeather12, Librarian00X, ChaoticxxHearts, eeveelutionluvr, doggifan, Elitedog, Hironada, BlueRingedUmbreon23, Fenrir of the Shadows, Fanaticofmanythings, Nevin Slate, Annabelle the Raikou, Orson Grinn, and Ileah.

**Also, guys:** Holy shit, we hit 200 reviews! You people are the beeeeeeesssssstttttt. I wish I could smother you all in hugs and warmth and chocolate, but unfortunately the internets can only provide so much. My love and everlasting affection will just have to do. You realize how many milestones we've hit with this? 100 review, 100,000 words, _200 reviews_... Now I just need a Pulitzer and we'll be all good.


	27. Twenty Sixth Sails

**Red Tide**

**Summary:**

New rules to an old game: Your Pokémon don't faint, they die. You must attempt to catch the first Pokémon you see on a new Route, and only that Pokémon. Ready for a challenge? Press Start. Rate T for poké-death, adult humor, and language.

**Chapter Twenty Six: **

Shivers raced through my body as I hugged my coat tighter around me. Even though I'd realized how drastic the temperature change was from the usual Hoenn-warm, I hadn't recognized the effect it would have on my method of travel.

"Just six more hours," I murmured to myself as my teeth chattered gently. Tugging my sleeves lower own on my hands, I re-gripped them around Copper's sky blue horns. It didn't help much – I could still feel the damp chill through both layers of glove and insulated jacket – but it was something, at least.

After ridding the outer edge of Lilycove of the disease that was Team Aqua, I'd taken a short pit stop back at the Pokémon Center to heal up my team and drop Morgan a line.

"_You alive?" I said by way of greeting as he answered his PokéNav._

"_Sadly, no. You see the volcano erupted unexpectedly on my way up there and all of western Hoenn is now covered in ash and drying lava. On the up side, I'm sure Magma is taken care of," he quipped with the barest edges of sarcasm in his voice. My lips tugged up in a smile involuntarily._

"_How unfortunate. Ah, well, at least I don't have to worry about them anymore. Unless, of course, you think they've mutated into some form of rock-creature? In which case I should go catch a few more water types…" I mockingly replied._

"_Quite," he agreed. We took a moment to enjoy the amiable atmosphere we'd created, even with the distance between us, before carrying on with more important things. "You took care of Team Aqua, I presume?"_

"_They're gone from Lilycove, but not done with their exploits quite yet. I don't suppose we had the good fortune of Team Magma getting caved in?"_

"_No, they made away after I confronted them. Of course, not before I could stop their leader, Maxie, from summoning the ancient Groudon." He sighed deeply and I could fully understand the feeling._

"_We'll figure it out," I assured him but it sounded hollow even to my ears._

"_We're going to have to, aren't we?" Morgan said. "Well, you'd best be on your way. The less time you waste talking the more time there is to stop our villains."_

"_Always so pragmatic," I chuckled. "All right, I've got the hint. I'll see you soon."_

"_Hopefully in one piece," he added._

"_I make no promises." I smiled behind my PokéNav and we said our final goodbyes before I picked up my team and made my way out of Lilycove._

I shuffled closer to Copper, in a futile effort to draw warmth from my cold blooded Pokémon. I double checked my Nav again before huffing out a frustrated breath. "Just five and a half more hours…"

* * *

By the time Copper and I reached Mossdeep, my legs were numb from being in the same position for too long and my hands held only the barest of feeling in them. Copper sidled up as close as she could to the sandy landing that the beach provided before I stumbled my way off her back and to the ground below. My legs failed half way down and I fell to my knees on the grit, not particularly caring that I was getting sand all over.

"Oh, thank Arceus," I groaned. While riding on Copper was easier on my stomach than a boat would have been, after a while it still got nauseating. "Six hours," I groaned, rolling over onto my back. I stared up at the night sky through the goggles I'd used to keep the mist from my eyes and thanked Arceus once more that I hadn't lost my lunch during our expedition.

"Gyaaaa," Copper roared next to me, catching my attention. I lolled my head in her direction.

"Tired, love?" I asked. She roared again, quieter this time. I nodded slowly and lifted a heavy hand to grab her Pokéball. "You did great, Cop, you deserve a rest. Return." The brilliant red light lit the sky like a flash of bloody lightening before all was peaceful once more. "Ugh," I groaned. "Gotta move," I told myself. My body didn't follow the command, though, and I stayed on the ground for several seconds longer. "All right, all right," I muttered, shifting my body weight just enough to roll myself over. I slid my hands through the sand and held them flat before pushing against the ground and levering myself upwards. "Ehhh," I groaned as blood started to rush to my freezing extremities in a near painful manner. Hefting myself from my kneeling position, I stumbled across the beach and toward the rocky stairs that led up to what was surely Mossdeep proper.

The new movement of my body seemed to kick it back into gear and the shivers that had plagued me earlier were back with a vengeance. "C-c-c-crap," I chattered, looking around. "Where the hell is the Center?" The few streetlamps that littered the city were dim and rather useless to my tired eyes as I tripped my way down the street. "Finally," I said with relief as the red and white of the Pokémon Center came into view. I leaned heavily against the doors as I tried to pull one open with no success. "C'mo-on," I growled, shaking them. Giving up, I knocked soundly against the glass and waited for several minutes. No one answered.

Sighing, I shifted until my back was flat against the wall of the building before slowly sliding down to the ground. Curling myself into a ball and covering my face with my arms, I willed myself to stop shivering. "Just… gotta wait it out a few hours…" I yawned, my eyes drifting shut. Against my will, I fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

"Oh, dear!" a high pitched voice exclaimed, waking me from the restless sleep I'd slipped into. Lifting my head from my arms, I greeted Nurse Joy with a tired face.

"Are there any couches left?" I asked, voice still rough with sleep. It seemed to kick her into motion and she started bustling around me, helping me up, and guiding me inside the Center with a strong hand.

"Ooh, I _knew_ I shouldn't have fallen asleep with the television on!" she chided herself. I murmured a half-hearted 'agreed' as she sat me down on one of the many empty couches. She paused and gave me one of those Looks. I shrugged; hey, I was all for her not falling asleep with the TV on if it meant I got to come in out of the cold. "You just lay right here and rest, I'll get you a blanket and a pillow in a jiffy, okay?" she said as she gently pushed my shoulders down onto the couches. I nodded vaguely, eyes drifting closed once more. The last thing I felt was soft hands on my face taking off the goggles I'd borrowed from Brandon oh-so long ago.

* * *

"Mmm, mrphm," I grumbled as wakefulness came over me. I snuggled down deeper into the couch, enjoying the warmth that had been denied me the day before. Someone – Nurse Joy, I presumed – had tucked a heavy throw blanket around my shoulders, sealing in the heat from both my body and my heavy clothes. I cautiously opened my eyes, blinking away the sleeping sand, and sat up from my pleasant cocoon of slumber. Feeling like a real human for the first time in over a day, I threw my arms over my head and stretched.

"Mmm, yeah," I groaned in contentment. Looking around, I found my bag with bleary eyes and dug through it for my glasses. I slipped them on as I stood up.

"Oh, good, you're awake," Nurse Joy commented as she came up from behind the couch. I turned to her and gave her a small smile.

"Yep, and better than ever. Thanks for letting me crash on the couch, I know standard protocol calls for all trainer's to be up by ten," I said.

"It was no problem," she smiled, tilting her head not unlike her anime counterpart. "We don't get many travelers here anyway, so the place is practically empty."

"Yeah, I suppose the journey from Lilycove isn't for the weary," I agreed. Taking a look out the window, I noticed that the sun was already past halfway in the sky. "Say, what time is it anyway?"

"Oh, it's about ten past four. You were only asleep for about seven hours, would you like to rest a bit more?" she asked.

"No, I think I'm good, thanks," I waved her off. "I will go up to get something to eat though." Before I walked away, another thought hit me and I turned back to face her. "Do you know when the Gym closes?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't. But the Leaders have been staying up very late at night and have started accepting most challengers only in the afternoon. I'm sure you'll be fine should you wait a little while to battle them," she reassured me.

"Right, thanks," I smiled at her again and turned toward the stairs, thoughts jumbled.

_I forgot Mossdeep had two leaders_, I thought as I climbed the stairs. _They were…kids, right. Kids. Twins; a little boy and a little girl. Huh_, I chuckled. _Bet they're having a wonderful time in the amazing world of Pokémon._ I, for one, would have been overjoyed to be in this world when I was still just a kid. Maybe a little overly enthusiastic, but still. Even now I was thrilled to be here but it was a more subtle contentment than the hyperactive enthusiasm of ten year olds.

I ate my meal alone, assured that my Pokémon were resting quite comfortably in their Pokéballs. I wanted to give them as much relaxation as possible before the match because I knew it would be a tough one. The Psychic Gym had always proved to be a challenge to me during the game, but I wondered just how I would fare against a couple of kids with a strong team of my own to fight back with. After all, this team – this _family_ – was unlike any of its virtual predecessors saved on a game file back in the Real World. To be honest, it made everything a little bit more exciting.

Finishing up my meal, I headed back downstairs and outside.

The chill temperatures assaulted me the moment I was outside the warm safety of the Pokémon Center. A stiff gust of sea air ruffled my hair made me shiver momentarily. I tugged my scarf closer around my neck before glancing around and setting off in the direction of the Gym. It wasn't a hard thing to spot; the metallic edge of the outside plating glinting in the waning light of day and called to me like a homing beacon. As I strode to it, I contemplated how I would win this one. With the multitude of failures at this location in the past, the Pokémon used were something I was familiar with.

_Originally they use Lunatone and Solrock, but I'm sure they'll use the more sturdy Psychic types to boost themselves up. Claydol, probably. It'll be difficult_, I thought. _Its Earthquake isn't something to laugh at, but that also means it's a ground type. Lunatone and Solrock are rock types – Solrock has fire-type attributes – so Copper will be more than helpful. And I can switch out Callie and Gabriel for a dark element._

Satisfied with my strategy, I nodded to myself and looked upon the Gym with weary eyes. Little kids or no, this was the seventh gym and was bound to be more than a little difficult. I set my shoulders grimly and pushed open the doorway to my next challenge. The room that it opened up into wasn't quite the sterile atmosphere I recalled. Instead was a small room with torch lights on a few walls and warp panels in the corner of the room. More Zen than minimalist. I stepped over to the warp panel and sighed.

"I really thought I was done with these," I commented as I stepped forward. A by-now familiar rush went through me and I found myself in a similar room as the first, another panel in the corner. I stepped on it, and another, and another yet, before finally finding myself in a much larger room. I had to take a moment to lean against the wall and collect myself after the dizzying transportation.

"Oh, look! Can it be?" a child's voice called loudly.

"A challenger," a second said matter-of-factly.

"This'll be fun!"

"We haven't had one in a while."

"Scared 'em all off, we did!"

"That's because you keep screaming."

"I'm not screaming," the first one pouted. "I'm just happy!"

I blinked and looked over to the two having the conversation; slowly but surely they were trotting their way over to my little corner of the room and the sight of them shocked me a little. I had been expecting kids, sure, but I had also sort of been expecting twins. These two were certainly not related.

"So who are you?" a little girl with dark hair and tea-colored skin questioned me.

"I'm – " I was cut off by her companion, a red headed, freckled boy an inch or so shorter than his friend.

"She's a challenger, obviously," he stated, repositioning his own glasses. He looked at me as though I were an experiment and he, the scientist. It was more than a little disconcerting.

"My name's Lucy," I said after a minute of contemplating the two of them, just waiting for one or the other to strike their conversation back up.

"Lucy, huh?" the girl asked, tilting her head at me. "That's a really common name."

"Oh yeah?" I said. "And what're your names?"

"I'm Marisol!" she twirled a bit in child-like enthusiasm before grinning at me. "And he's – "

"Hamish." He gave Marisol a side glance. "I _can_ speak for myself, you know."

"I know, but I just figured I'd go ahead and do it for you," she shrugged, putting a hand on her hip.

"And what would you have done should I have taken over the whole conversation?" he asked her, quirking a brow and blinking benignly.

"Well I – " I cut her off before what was sure to be a row started.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have been playing a video game, by chance?" I asked. The vague distraction worked and they both turned to me. I expanded on the comment, "'Bout a month ago, you were playing Pokémon before going to bed and then, poof, you were here?" I gestured with my hands.

"Hm," Hamish hummed, facing me full on. It seemed that I'd finally gathered his attention in a non science experiment sort of way.

"Hey, yeah!" Marisol bubbled, nodding her head quickly. "I was over at Ham's house – "

"_Please_ stop calling me that – "

" – and we were doing a practice battle against each other before his dad came in and told us it was bed time. We don't remember falling asleep, but then we woke up here so I suppose we had to, right?" she shrugged at me.

I nodded sympathetically at her. "Yeah, it happens."

"Personal experience?" Hamish questioned, light eyes studious. I nodded.

"My name is Lucy Spalding and I'm from the Real World, just like you," I informed them. "I was playing my Sapphire when I blanked out; the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the back of a moving van and under the impression that I'd lost my mind."

"Oooh!" Marisol squealed, clasping her hands together. "You got to take May Maple's place? That's so awesome! You get to travel around and capture Pokémon and have adventures beating up bad guys!" she said all in one breath. I barely caught on to what she was saying but Hamish seemed to understand perfectly.

"She also gets to experience the harshness of travelling by foot, the threat of the Rabies Virus, and the irreparable toll that so many battles have caused her Pokémon," he commented; the words sounded as though they were directed at his friend, but the tone, I was certain, was aimed at me. I nodded solemnly at him, letting him know that his conclusion was spot on – as I had a feeling it always was.

"That sounds _awful_," Marisol lamented on my behalf.

"It has its bad moments," I agreed, then added, "but the closeness you get with your Pokémon is well worth it." I wouldn't trade any cozy, vanilla life for the times I'd shared with my Pokémon. All the pain was small compared to the vastness of our connection.

"Even if you end up losing them in the end?" Hamish asked. The look on his face was more fit to his eleven year old self than any I'd seen on him previously. It held a dash of confusion, but was mostly filled with longing for the experience.

"Even then," I said quietly.

"I'd like to put your theory to the test," he replied, face once more masked in scientific calculation.

"Oh, a battle!" Marisol agreed vehemently, dark locks bouncing wildly as she nodded her head.

"Then a battle it is," I acquiesced. Hamish turned on his heel, pausing only momentarily to reach back and grab Marisol by the wrist and drag her along with him. I followed along behind them, my thoughts zipping quickly as I compared what I now knew of them and how I might use that during the battle.

_He's intelligent, he'll be able to see the obvious moves for what they are and defend against them quickly. Unexpected attacks might be the way to go. But then there's also Marisol; she's pretty spontaneous – like any true eleven year old. Perhaps I can use that to distract or knock out?_

"This will be a match between Leaders Hamish and Marisol," Hamish called, loud and clear. I blinked for a moment, taken aback that he would use their true names instead of those of the true Leaders they'd replaced. _Maybe they didn't realize the true depth of their entrance into this world?_ I questioned myself. After all, they were just kids and it made sense that they'd think of the situation in terms of their own personal gain. _Whatever. It people accept it, then they accept it. Move on_. "Two Pokémon at a time, whoever runs out first loses."

"Ready?" Marisol called over, bouncing on her tiptoes. I smiled involuntarily at her enthusiasm.

"Mari, how many times do I have to tell you? Matches are _professional_," Ham chided her. She ignored him.

"Whenever you are," I shouted back.

"_I call_ Xatu!" "_I call_ Claydol!" they shouted simultaneously. The two psychic types appeared in a flash of light and I had a thrill of victory at accurately predicting at least one of their initial Pokémon.

I grabbed two balls from my belt and enlarged one in each hand. "Callie, Copper!" I chose, sending their spheres onto the field. My Pokémon emerged, Callie shaking the rest out of herself while Copper groggily uncurled herself. I bit my lip. _Maybe I should have let her rest a bit more…_ I doubted. She had brought me a long distance yesterday. _Perhaps I should've held this off another day?_ But it was too late to call the match off, I figured. _Better get this done quickly_. "Cal, Shadow Ball!"

"Xatu, Calm Mind!" Marisol commanded. As Callie released a darkened sphere of energy at Ham's Claydol, the bird type gathered itself close and shut its eyes, focusing its energy tightly. Unluckily for the Claydol, Xatu's attack didn't deter the Shadow Ball in the slightest and it hit the ground type full force.

"Cla," it grunted, forced back a few feet in its mid-air hover. Hamish's face contorted in a displeased glare.

"Earthquake!" he ordered.

As the Claydol started it spin its energy, I called out to Copper, "Quick, Surf!" But Copper was still wiped from our previous day's journey and before her Surf could manifest itself, the ground-shattering attack had Callie and I flat on the floor. I sat up as fast as I could, rubbing my now-sore leg in the process, and saw the tail end of Copper's look back at me.

"Gyaaaaaa!" she screeched. It was an ungodly sound that I hadn't heard her make before and I could only assume it was for the assault on my person. Out of nowhere a torrent of water was forming before her screaming mouth, the waves of the Surf attack white-capped and vicious. She let it loose and the water came crashing down on both the Xatu and Claydol. The bird type fluttered out from under the water, but it didn't appear that Claydol was so lucky. As the water calmed and dissipated with the attack, the massive form of the psychic type was revealed.

"Clay!" Ham gasped in surprise, taking an involuntary step toward his fallen Pokémon. He halted himself and quickly pulled the monster's ball and returned him; thankfully, the orb stayed red, but that didn't deter Hamish's uneasy glance up at me and my Pokémon. "She was… avenging you," he stated, seemingly confused at the action. I stood on unsteady legs.

"Like I said, you get close to Pokémon you've fought the earth with," I told him. This time, he seemed to understand.

Nodding, he pulled a second ball from his belt. "Lunatone!"

Marisol, it seemed, was also watching me with new eyes. "Xat, Sunny Day!" Her bird thrust its arms out, energy emitting from it to create a miniature sun at the top of the arena.

_Perhaps she realizes her Pokémon won't be awake for too much longer?_ I knew her second Pokémon would be a Solrock and it was logical to assume she was preparing for the event of her Xatu fainting. _She's more strategic than I would've given her credit for_. "Callie, Shadow Ball again!"

"Mighty!" she roared, releasing a second ball of dark matter at our opponent. It struck in much the same way her initial one did, thrusting the newly released Lunatone back a few feet. The Leaders seemed a little taken aback that I'd attack Ham's Pokémon for a second time instead of moving onto Mari's. _Hate to tell you, kids, but I know that the combo of Lunatone and Solrock is a deadly one and like __hell__ am I gonna have them both out here at the same time_, I thought to myself, if not a little smug.

"Ugh, Hypnosis!" Hamish shouted, frustration leaking into his tone.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath as Callie fell asleep on the mat. "Copper," I called, "another Surf!"

"Gyaradoos!" she obeyed, though the attack was much weaker than the first one. I studied her for a moment before cursing once more. The strain was evident on her scaly, blue face and I felt bad for leaving her in. "Just a bit more, Cop," I promised. I'd have taken her out, but with two rock types to still take down her water element would be invaluable to the battle.

"Xatu, Confuse Ray!" Marisol ordered of her Pokémon. It gladly obeyed, sending invisible rays at my Gyarados. I crossed my fingers but it was no use – Copper started shifting anxiously and I knew the attack had been effective. I glanced at my fallen Mightyena but Callie remained asleep. As I pursed my lips and went to grab a ball – I hadn't yet decided which; Callie's or Coppers? – Hamish called out his next attack.

"Lunatone," he ordered firmly, "Psychic!"

"Luuuunnnne," it hummed harmonically. "Tone!" Its eyes opened wide and the air distorted by a powerful wave of psychic energy – all of it directed at Copper. My eyes widened at the force I knew it would exert.

"Gyaaa," Copper cried out, too weak to resist the attack that ripped through her. Her blue serpentine form stuttered in the air before rippling downward and landing heavily on the matted floor of the gym. She let out another weakened call of her name, eyes locked on mine, before she stilled unnaturally. Faintly, I could hear someone screaming, though I didn't know who. My mind was too full of what'd just happened.

_Copper?_ I couldn't seem to comprehend the situation. Surely she couldn't be – she can't have – not my big blue beastie. She can't have…

_I blinked at the stupid Pokémon and sighed, throwing out a Pokéball._

_"Welcome to the team, Copper," I said to the ball containing my new Magicarp._

_Great. Just… great._

…

_"Copper, what the hell are you doing? Get back her – " I stopped again, this time to watch as Copper grew. And grew. And grew some more. Her body was encompassed in white light and I grinned. "Hell yes!" I pumped my fist into the air. "I've got a Gyarados! Woo -_

…

" - oooo!" I realized that I had been the one screaming as I fell to my knees hard. "No, Copper," I couldn't stop the tears that tracked down my face as I continued to stare at my fallen family member; my _child_. "You – you can't leave me," I told her, chest seizing spastically with my sobs. "You can't, Cop, you just _can't_."

_I've had you for too long, we've been through too much. C'mon, you can get up, you can do this. You're my big blue beastie, my gentle giant. You can't leave me, not like this…_

"Miii," Callie howled. The commotion had been enough to shake her from the forced sleep and as she saw what had happened to her sister, she too mourned. "Mightyena!"

"You – you _killed it_," Marisol accused Hamish blankly. I looked up at them through blurry eyes and saw that they were just… staring.

"I didn't – I didn't _mean_ to," he stuttered, taking a step back from the arena.

_They're just kids_, some part of me said. _You can't blame him, you have to tell him it's okay – it was an accident - !_

_Yeah_, my pain-dulled mind agreed. But I didn't stand. I didn't move. I just kept staring at him. I couldn't comprehend that he was just a kid, that it wasn't his fault. All I could see was the person who'd killed Copper. My eyes trailed back to her; she almost looked like she was just sleeping. I could imagine her doing it, too; some sunny beach with waves lapping at her scales and soothing her along her dreams. But then I realized – that wouldn't happen anymore. That couldn't happen.

Because she was dead.

My fist clenched as the anger that came with grief struck me. _He killed Copper_, my mind muttered furiously. _Killed her without even a thought._ I looked up at him again, finally noticing how terrified and _sick_ he looked and the anger drained out of me in a painful way.

I couldn't blame him, much as wanted to. I couldn't blame him, but I also couldn't stay here in the same room as him any longer. On shaking legs, I stood, head bowed with the weight of the pain in my heart. Lifting my arm, I enlarged Copper's Pokéball one last time.

"Cop, return."

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, jeez, Delu updated? All right, all right, calm down. I don't need anyone's heart attack on my hands. But, yeah, I updated! Wooo. Party time. -dance- And, you know what else?

**Red Tide is officially one year old.**

I know right? It's crazy. My baby's growing up so fast. -wipes away tear-

But, anyway. RT is a year old and Copper _dies_. How tragic is that? I say we all go out and drown our sorrows in chocolate milk and rum raisen ice cream.

**Reviewers who shall be recognized when Lulu takes over the planet:** Arcane1ManaX, gigglez190, Anon, KsandraMallan, Ellie, Twilight Emo Wind Goddess, Aura-Immortal, Soulful Plain Strider, stealthhunter112, TinyAwkwardTurtles, Lightening-Alchemist-Rini, Nevin Slate, Drewbie, Fanaticofmanythings, EliteDog, eeveelutionluvr, and ChaoticXXHearts


	28. Twenty Seventh Savages

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Twenty Seventh Savages**

My throat felt like it was bleeding, but I continued screaming at the top of my lungs; my voice was cracking from the hours of strain I had placed up on it, but I didn't care. My fists rammed into the rocky edge of Mossdeep's cliffside, tearing at the skin on my hands. I was grateful for the pain; it was a release to the frustration and anger I couldn't help but hold onto. "I said this wouldn't happen again!" I yelled, my words getting lost in the echoes of crashing waves. Slowly, the beating I was giving the rocks ceased. "I promised I wouldn't let them get hurt." I leaned heavily against the cliff side, resting my weight on my balled up, bloody hands. The sting kept my anger in check. I pressed harder.

_It was too soon_, I lamented, letting my head droop between my outstretched arms. The harsh edge of my frustration was waning, leaving only a dull sense of sadness in its place. My legs weakened as the anger-fueled adrenaline wore off and I slumped to my knees. "You're an idiot, Lucy," I told myself, the self-deprecation easing my pain in only the minutest of ways.

"Wai?" I heard from behind me. My back tensed and I cautiously looked over my shoulder. A wild attack was the last thing I needed now; if I could run without a fight, I would. "Wailmer?" the Pokémon attempted to tilt its head – i.e. its whole body – and it rolled unexpectedly, leaving the Wailmer struggling on its back.

_Now!_ I thought, jumping up and dashing away from the water type. But as I ran, I couldn't stop myself from glancing back at the Pokémon. I slowed to a stop as I watched the thing struggle. "Pathetic," I muttered to myself, turning fully to look at the Wailmer.

"Wail! Wai!" it cried, short fins flapping uselessly at its sides. I clenched my fists.

"All you have to do is roll over!" I shouted at it, irrationally angry with the feeble creature.

"Wai-ai!" was its response, frustration overtaking its features.

"Ugh!" I stomped forward, falling to my knees beside it, and started to push its underside upward; it was a difficult task as the Wailmer was a good six foot and weighed damn near three hundred pounds. I grunted with the weight of the thing as I helped it back on its belly. "Fat, lazy thing you are," I told it, voice callous, as it finally tumbled back into position.

"Wailmer!" it shouted cheerfully, completely oblivious to my cruel words. It turned to look at me, face beaming and smile full of a long-toothed grin. I sighed and shook my head.

"You are an unmindful and naïve Pokémon. Don't you know I could've left you helpless on your back?" I asked it rhetorically, knowing I would get no response. I huffed as it spluttered at me carelessly. "Fine. Whatever," I stood, turning away. "Don't expect anyone else to be as kind as I was," I told it, not even really sure why I had helped the thing. With the mood I was in now, I surprised myself with even that amount of charity. As I made my way back across the beach, intent on brooding in a darkened alcove of the Pokémon Center, I felt something hit my back. I went careening into the sand and barely caught myself on my hands and knees before I got a face full of beachy grit.

"Waiiiilmer!" the water type cooed at me, eyes, and smile, wide. I felt my lips pull back in a snarl and I whipped my head around to stare at it.

"What?" I snapped. "I helped you up and you're going to attack me anyway?"

"Waiiii," it replied happily. I shook my head and stood, brushing the sand off my clothes.

"Forget it," I told the Wailmer. "I don't want to battle, okay? So just…" I let out a deep, tired sigh. "Just go away." I turned away again, intent on getting off the damned beach. But, again before I could get off the sandy dunes, I felt something rub against me. I tensed, thinking I would be pushed, but the Wailmer simply rubbed itself happily against my back. "I don't get it," I said, not looking at the affectionate creature. "I've already told you I don't care, why don't you leave me be?"

"Wailmer!" it replied, not ceasing its actions. Its head knocked against my belt, setting loose the gray ball I couldn't bear to look at.

"Hey!" I shouted, pushing at the beast. It backed off and I knelt in the sand, carefully cradling Copper's ball in my hands. "You should be more careful," I told it softly. "Lumbering oaf."

"Merr," it rumbled at me. I threw a look over my shoulder at it; while a part of me wanted nothing more than to be angry at the creature, I couldn't bring myself to. I sighed.

"What is it that you want?" I asked. It bubbled at me, rubbing its face against my back once more. I reached a hand up and let my fingers glide over its slick head before patting it firmly on its brow. Levering myself up using its massive body, I looked at it contemplatively. I let my mind drift as this beast – this annoying, idiotic _thing_ – somehow kept me calm after the storm my emotions had been through all day. Looking at its blue body, I couldn't help but be reminded of my Copper.

Tears slipped past my lashes as I closed my eyes tight at the thought.

"Wailmerrrr," the water type purred at me contentedly, pushing itself under my hand, demanding to be petted.

"Ha!" I let out a watery laugh at the playfulness of the Wailmer. "You're so…" I whispered. "You're so much like my Copper, you know?" I told it. "You're so young, and so full of energy. Cop was the same way," I said, remembering how my big blue beastie enjoyed wrapping herself around me as closely as possible, forcing my attention onto her. I swiped a hand under my glasses, ridding myself of the tears that spilled from my eyes. I leaned heavily into the Wailmer as he nuzzled me. The calm he provided was a relief to the tangle of emotion I'd found myself in. My breathing evened out and I let my gaze drift toward the gray ball in my hand.

_Copper…_

I slipped the ball into my pocket, unwilling to let it go so soon. Let _her_ go so soon. Patting the Wailmer once more on the head, I let my eyes wander along the long, stormy line of the horizon. Mind made up, I stood back.

"If you're gonna insist on tagging along," I told it, pulling a bright red Pokéball from my pack, "you're gonna have to stay in one of these. You're too damn big to just keep following me around."

"Wailllllmer!" he agreed happily, smacking his head against the ball in my hand and disappearing in a flash of red light.

* * *

I ran a hand through my hair as I entered the Pokémon Center, tired beyond belief. The sun was faint behind me, casting an orange glow across the white tiles of the Center and pitching my shadow on the far wall. The change in lighting caused me to squint and rub at my eyes. I sighed, letting my shoulders slump as I closed the door behind me. I walked over to the counter of the Center and buzzed for Nurse Joy. All I wanted was a blanket and a pillow and a place to lie down. I was done with this day.

"C'mon, hurry up…" I groaned, leaning my elbows on the counter and propping my head up on a bloodied fist. I vaguely heard the door open behind me, but I was too tired to care about it much.

"Hey, Lucy," I heard a voice say from behind me. I furrowed my brows as I lifted my head. That voice…

"Tiran!" I smiled, facing him full on; as I looked at him, my smile became a sad one. He was different from the last time I'd seen him. He seemed… older. Worn. How could this kid, the boy I viewed as another brother, look so weary of the world? My heart ached for him and, after all that I'd lost today, all I wanted to do was engulf him in a hug. So I did. Reaching out, I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him to me before surrounding him in a full hug. "Hey, little brother."

"Hey, big sis," he said, voice muffled from the tight squeeze I had him in. He tilted his head up and gave me a smile. "I'm glad to see you looking so well. Sorry for your loss..."

My lips pinched in a forced smile back to him. "Thanks, Tir." I held on for a moment longer before loosening my grip on his shoulders and taking a step back. "Copper didn't deserve that kind of ending…" my voice cracked and I ducked my head in an attempt to stop the tears from coming.

He returned my sad smile. "Copper... Now we've both lost a Gyarados..." He tugged at a bracelet wrapped around his wrist – one made of grey Pokéballs. My insides squirmed at the familiarity of his action; how many times had I done the same thing with the ones that had been tied to my hair, or around my neck? He gave me a small, understanding smile. "Copper deserved so much better, to go all the way to the Elite Four and win it. I'm sorry Lucy." He put a hand to my shoulder and I lifted my own and put it over top his wrist, just where the bracelet rested.

"They all did," I told him, letting him know that I understood.

It occurred to me then, as I took in the trainers of the Pokémon Center, that they'd all felt the same grief, the same pain as we had. That they must have all lost Pokémon at some point – there really was no way around it in the challenge that we'd taken. I gave Tiran's wrist one last squeeze before releasing it and nudging him toward a couch in the corner of the room. But, before we'd even taken a step, the doorway opened and a kid came rushing in. Almost everyone stopped what they were doing at the intrusion and the boy all but spoke gibberish in his rush to talk.

"The – the Space Center!" he gasped. A few trainers chuckled as the boy panted.

"We know, Arnie, we know – 'it's so amazing and awesome and the professors are so smart,'" one boy mocked, sinking into the couch once he'd figured out what the boy was saying.

"No, no," Arnie shook his head, "that's not – "

"We _know_, Arnie, it's 'more than that,'" a girl laughed. But, as I saw the distress on the kid's face, I realized that this was much more than whatever fascination he seemed to usually show toward the Space Center.

I prodded Tiran again. "Space Center?" I asked, nodding my head toward the door. He nodded back and we started on our way but, before we could make it to the door, I saw Tiran glance surreptitiously out the corner of his eye. It soon became clear of what he was looking for.

"W-Wisp?" his head nearly spun as he looked for what had to be one of his Pokémon. With the franticness of his search, it was no doubt one the ones closer to him. He rushed passed me before I had a chance to question him on the matter and it forced me to take off after him. The sun was setting on what was proving to be a chilly day and it provided a scattered silhouetted of Tiran's rushing form as he searched for his Pokémon. "Wisp! Where are you!?" he shouted as he came to a standstill. I grabbed onto his shoulder to keep him from going off again.

"Tiran," I shook his shoulder in an attempt to gather his attention. "Calm down; who are you searching for?"

"Wisp, she's my Xatu. I saved her from a poacher trap in the Safari Zone. She refuses to go inside her Pokéball but she's always at my side," he said, running a hand through his hair. He rubbed at the back of his neck in worry. I frowned before glancing off to the towering skyline of the Space Center as it set up high upon its hill.

"Too much of a coincidence," I muttered to myself. Turning back to Tiran, I said louder, "This is too much of a coincidence for my liking. We should check the Space Center for her."

He paused before nodding. "Yeah, that sounds like a good place to start." He took the first few steps toward the Center and I followed after. As we got closer, clusters of people came running past us, looks of fear on their faces. I gave Tiran a look before taking off in a run; the Space Center was obviously the place we needed to be. As we neared the monstrous building, the last glimpses of sunlight hit the center column of glass creating deceptively beautiful refractions.

"Wisp…" I heard Tiran say softly, coming to a dead halt at my side. I paused and turned; it seemed that his Xatu had made an appearance, pressed snugly against her master's side. The psychic looked up at me from her position and I gave her a nod; I had the utmost respect for the power of psychic types and if she'd deemed my friend worthy then I would show her no disrespect.

"Tiran," I said in an attempt to gain his attention. The trickle of people running passed us had lessened, but their looks of fear had skyrocketed into a full blown terror. "We have to go," I jerked my head toward the Center. I didn't want to break up their brief little reunion, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

He nodded and we raced toward the building once more. We had to struggle past a few panicking people trying to fit through the doorway all at once, but once inside we had to pause. The structure of the building was magnificent. I heard Tiran let out a low, breathy, "Wow," at the site. The opposite wall was entirely made of glass and showed the outside view of the rocket that this city was so famous for. The only thing that hindered the view was the few dozen red spots hovering around the ship.

"Magma," I hissed, eyes trained on the terrible lackeys as I darted to the doorway that led upstairs. The stairs spat us out at the second floor and my fists clenched at the half dozen Grunts that filled it. I nudged Tiran beside me as we hid in the shadow of the doorway.

"You take the three on the left, I'll take the four on the right?" I whispered.

He held up his Pokéballs with a devious grin. "Just see if you can keep up," he said with a wink before dashing into what soon would be a rioting mass of grunts. "Clad, Ket! Time to take 'em down!" Before our enemies could even respond, his Aggron and Swellow were to it. With a wave of Surf and a powerful Gust, his enemies were on the floor. With a chuckle, I let myself into the fray.

To be honest, I couldn't remember much of the double battles. Easy, certainly, but also a blur; I vaguely recognized the flashes of Zubat, the claws of a Mightyena, and the flames of Numel, but it all boiled down to nothing. Bland Pokémon, bland people, bland battles.

I backed away from the destruction of the battles, wiping sweat from my brow. A Numel had gotten scary close to burning my hand off and if it weren't for my newest mate, Percy, I might very well have been done for. Spinning around, I ran right into Tiran as he finished his own fiery battles. He nearly punched me in surprise before stopping and looking around the devastated room.

"Think they have insurance?" he asked with a straighter face than I could've managed. Shifting ever so slightly as a piece of ceiling tile fell down, I shrugged.

"I think they'll just be happy if we leave the building standing in one piece," I threw him a smirk. Before the banter could continue, we were cut off by a nasty shout.

"You!" the voice yelled, clearing directing it at both Tiran and me. I looked up and immediately a vicious streak of hatred shot its way through my veins.

"Maxie," I said, voice low and eyes narrowing to a glare. A woman ran up beside him in an atypical version of the grunt uniform and I had to assume that this was his second in command.

"Let me take care of 'em, boss," the woman said, stepping forward to give us what for. Maxie shot a hand out and gripped her arm; the woman winced.

"I have spent too long battling these little cretins, Tabitha, to let you screw it up for me," he said, voice stony cold. "We will take them out together."

"You're forgetting something," I said, ball gripped tightly in my right hand. "Tiran and I _always_ win."

"How quick, you think? Five minutes before we take down their last Pokémon?" Tiran said next to me, spinning a Pokéball on his finger like a basketball. I saw Maxie's lips purse angrily at the insult and I realized what my little not-brother was doing. _Angry men make great fools_, I thought.

I decided to play along. "You give them too much credit, little brother," I said, relaxing my stance. "I say two until we're done with – what was your name again, dear?" I asked the girl, wanting to rile her up.

"_Tabitha_," she told me through clenched teeth.

"Ah, yes, two until we're done with _Tabitha_," I enunciated, ticking off my fingers, "and two more until we're done with Maxie. That sounds reasonable, doesn't it?" I asked the man in question, brow arched and head tilted.

"You are playing with fire, little girl," he told me, enlarging a Pokéball and bringing it up. "And you _will_ get burned. Go, Mightyena!" His second in command took this as leave to release her own Pokémon.

"Get them, Camerupt!" she shouted before the dense eruption Pokémon appeared.

Grabbing at an all too familiar ball, I threw it swiftly. "Vexyl, let's try and keep this quick, shall we?"

"Blazi-k," he agreed, rising himself to his full height of 6 foot 2. Between the two fire types, the room became ever more warm, the passion of battle fueling the rise in temperature.

"C'mon, Ket, we got some more fighting to do!" Tiran said at my side, rereleasing his battle-ready Swellow. "Start it off with an Aerial Ace!" The flying type did as commanded, swiftly making its way toward Tabitha's Camerupt. Seeing that Tiran had things well in hand, Vex and I turned our attention back to Maxie.

"Yena!" his dark type roared, coming up from out of nowhere.

"Blaziken!" Vexyl growled, raising an arm to defend his face from the attack. My fists clenched at my side as the Crunch took its toll on Vex.

Mind made up, I yelled, "Vexyl, while he's close, double kick!" He nodded at me, too distracted by his attacker to give me a vocal response. Bringing up one of his long legs to tuck near his body, he jammed it into the Mightyena's side. The attacker let out a high pitched yelp, releasing its hold just long enough for my Blaziken to bring his second leg around and kick the beast away.

"Mi…yena," it panted, desperately attempting to raise itself up. The attempt was useless, though, as it could not seem to move anything past the middle of its back. My heart thudded painfully in my chest for a flitting moment before I buried that feeling. _Had to be done,_ I thought. Something tickled my wrist and I looked down; I'd clenched my fist so hard that my nails started to draw blood.

"Return, you useless animal," Maxie spat at his Mightyena, scowling fiercely. My face pinched in anger.

"Call your next Pokémon," I said, voice cold. I was ready for this to be done. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tabitha's face twist in a fit of rage. But, distracted as I was over Maxie, I didn't notice her Pokémon's movements until it was too late.

"Rock Slide!" she called and her Camerupt reacted instantly. The fire type seemed to be using the cement of the building around us as its medium, for the ceiling collapsed, raining down giant chunks of rubble on our heads.

"Ah!" I yelled, throwing my arms above my head and instinctively screwing my eyes shut. Startled when nothing but a few pebbles knocked against me, I opened my eyes to see Vex acting as a shield and protecting me from the brunt of the attack.

"Ziken," he said, nodding at me. He threw off the mess, face stony; he wasn't able to hide his wince, though, or the feathers that were now matted with blood.

Pulling his ball of my belt, I prodded him with it. "Vexyl, return," I said softly, ignoring the enraged look on my starter's face. I knew how much he wanted to be a part of this fight – how much I owed it to him – but at this moment I wasn't willing to take the risk. As I switched capsules, I noticed that Tiran had held the same idea; his Swellow was nowhere to be seen.

"Cowards," I heard a cocky voice call to us from across the damaged room. My eyes found Maxie's and I scowled. Before him stood his own Camerupt, a good size larger than his lackey's and far more dangerous looking. "Your infamous starter not up to the job?" he sneered. I bit the inside of my cheek and refrained from lashing out immediately. _No need to fall for your own tricks_, I thought.

"Just want to give the new one some exercise," I returned, palming Percy's shiny new ball. I clicked it open in my hand, not wanting to lose it in the fray, and released my Pokémon. With two fire types on the field, the type advantage would be a nice one to have. Even with the few battles the Wailmer and I had been in together, I could tell that what he lacked in attack he more than made up in staying power.

"Waiiiiii," he crowed, settling into the rubble as if it were merely an ocean made up of brick and cement. A slow smile formed on my face as I noticed Maxie harden when he saw my six foot beast.

"Y'know Maxie," Tiran said at my side, "I wouldn't mind fighting you one on one with my starter." My heart clenched in sympathy, remembering how keenly he must feel the loss. He kept his voice strong, though, and for that I was more than proud to call him my brother. "Too bad your team killed so many of my family." He let loose his Aggron and immediately called out, "Clad, Surf!"

As the beast let loose a wave of water, my Wailmer mimicked him instinctively. I noted that I would have to train that rash behavior out of him, but the stereo effect of our attacks were enough to engulf our enemy before a single counter could be made.

"Agh," I heard the Magma executives groan as they were drenched. As the water cleared, our battlefield was left soaking and our enemies were in much the same state. Both Camerupts were passed out on the craggy ground, too far gone to move.

_Or dead_, my subconscious supplied.

_Or dead_, I agreed.

As my eyes met Maxie's from across our makeshift field, I was surprised at the smirk that marked his face.

"Air cutter," he commanded maliciously. My eyes widened and I looked around frantically for any sign of the Pokémon he had stealthily let loose.

"Croooo!"

"Clad, take the blow, now!" Tiran ordered as the Crobat swooped down on our Pokémon. The harder-than-rock steel type took the attack before roaring in triumph as the bat fluttered away. Maxie looked far from impressed, though his companion wasn't of the same attitude. Tabitha was trembling, a grayed out Pokéball grasped tightly in her hand. A part of me felt pity for the woman, but a greater part dismissed her pain. No matter who she was, she was part of a team that had taken too much away from me and that was what mattered, especially now.

"Wing Attack!" Maxie called out and his Crobat was quick to obey.

"Clad, take the blow!" Tiran commanded at my side. "Lucy, launch some attacks around Clad, Flying types don't really hurt him."

I nodded. "Right," I said before ordering Percy. "Water Pulse!"

"Waiiii," Percy bellowed as Clad blocked the attack, shooting out a strong bubble of water at the Crobat and knocking it out of the air.

"Croba," it panted weakly, straining to lift a wing. Disgustedly, Maxie recalled his Pokémon and stepped backward, flinging an arm out to his still trembling executive.

"Tabitha, finish them," he spat, narrow eyes zoning in on her. Lifting her face, I could see the rage in her stare as one hand gripped the dull Pokéball while the other summoned forth her last beast.

"Mightyena!" she let loose. The wolf burst forth in a flash or red light and crouched low to the ground, haunches raised and teeth showing. It had bloody foam around its mouth. _Rabies_, I thought, mood dark. Next to me, Tiran shivered, no doubt reliving his own run in with the Pokémon virus.

"Clad, Rollout, avoid the windows!" The steel beast followed the command and sent itself tumbling toward the dark type. Before the dog could move, Clad had pummeled it once and was heading back for a second time. Mightyena attempted a Roar, but the rock type move had already taken its toll.

"Mi!" it yelped, trying to limp away from Tiran's oncoming Aggron. Before the steel type could hit, though, a flash of red light had sucked the Mightyena back into its Pokéball. Eyes flicking up to Tabitha, my mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Why you _useless_," Maxie berated his executive, gripping her arm in a vice tight grip. "Finish them!" She shook her head, wincing and clutching her Pokéballs to her chest. "Agh," he huffed, shoving her to the floor. His dark eyes found mine from across the room. "This _isn't_ over," he said before stepping away from our battlefield and disappearing in the chaos that we'd caused.

"Wait..." Tiran said, taking in the scene, "it's over?" Without waiting for a reply, he said, "That was… anticlimactic…"

"A little, yeah," I agreed. Looking away from him, I turned my gaze toward our remaining enemy. Tabitha. She was sitting on the cracked floor, legs crossed and body slumped low. In her hands were two little grey balls and one red one shining mockingly between them. My lips pursed; before I could do anything about or leftover executive, something moved in my periphery.

"Tabitha Samuels," the man said, voice stony and as cold as ice. Dressed head to toe in black, the Hoenn League insignia gleamed proudly against the collar of his jacket as he stepped forward, plastic hoops clutched in his hands. Tabitha barely moved as he came upon her, too caught up in her own sorrow to notice his presence. She didn't even fight when he latched the plastic hoops – handcuffs of a sort – around her upper arms. Distracted by the scene, I jumped when a voice sounded in my ear.

"Sad, isn't it?"

Turning quickly, I caught sight of shaggy gray hair and slate colored eyes. My eyes softened in recognition of Hoenn's Champion. "Steven," I nodded before turning my gaze back to Tabitha and her mourning. I knew what she was feeling, and the thought that she and I could be _anything_ alike was disturbing. _I could have been her_, I thought, _if I'd been pushed too far, or coerced the right way. I could have been right where she is._ "Yes, it is quite sad."

"To think that you won't realize the consequences of your actions until it is far too late," he sighed, head drooping and eyes closing. He turned his face towards Tiran and me before opening them again, the softness and the pity gone. "We need to discuss what happens next."

"Aqua," I said, the familiar pattern of back and forth fights between the two Teams allowing me the foresight. My memory of the game was shot, too fuzzy and unreliable to be of any use.

Steven bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Yes, that was what I was afraid of. Magma has made their stand and now it can only be assumed that Aqua will follow. They are bound and determined, it seems, to walk the same path," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Champion," one of the League officials caught his attention. "The girl is unresponsive to our queries; what do you want us to do?"

Steven frowned a moment, eyes distant even while they looked on the fallen Magma member, before responding. "We'll take her with us; perhaps then she will clue us in on the precise happenings of her enigmatic leader." The slate haired man turned back to us, hands reaching deep into his jacket's inner pocket. "As for you two, we greatly appreciate your help in capturing one of the more prominent members of this organization. In thanks, I would like to offer you these," he held his hand out and Tiran and I each snagged identical, nonsensical little gadgets. I twisted mine before my face, unfamiliar with its purpose. "They are miniature ventilators; you bite down on the round part and breathe in the air that comes from the orange off chutes."

"Um, why…?" I began, beyond curious at the practicality of the device.

"They hold thirty minutes worth of air in them," Steven continued on. "Just enough time to do some underwater exploration, don't you think?" The twinkle in his eye was surprisingly playful and I nodded my head in understanding, letting out a brief, 'Ah.' As the champion turned away, he glanced back one last time, right into the eyes of my little not-brother. "That was some fancy footwork you did with those flying types of yours." He paused, as if to decide his next words carefully. "Better than even a few Gym Leaders I know." My eyes widened in surprise at the comment before turning to look at Tiran's reaction. His stare was just as shocked as my own, but softened into contemplation briefly before the boy nodded. Steven gave him a small smile before showing us his back and walking away.

"That was quite a compliment," I stated.

"Yeah... but oddly enough it isn't the first time. I met a girl in Fortree and she said something similar..." Tiran said, shaking his head with a small smile on his lips. He held up the ventilator for a moment before pocketing it. "I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll have much use for this... I prefer to keep to the skies instead of near the water." He stuck his tongue out at me in humor and I scoffed a little.

"Some of us," i.e. me, "prefer to have solid ground under our feet. You can have as much atmosphere as you want, I'll take a few laps around the ocean." I fiddled with the gadget for a moment more before grasping it loosely in one hand. "Where are you going after this?" I asked. I would assume to Sootopolis, where the final gym leader awaited us, but with Tiran I was never so sure.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe back to Petalburg, to visit my parents and tell them how far I've come," he joked. "Sootopolis. It's the last gym, and it feels important, being the very last badge and all. I definitely can't train in Victory Road, so after that I need to find a place with strong grass types." He sounded serious and somewhat contemplative in that statement; it was a sentiment I echoed. After all, the Sootopolis gym badge was the last one before the League. There was just something almost foreboding about the thought, but it had to be brushed off. The gym had to be faced and I, for one, wanted to get it out of the way.

"I know what you mean," I told him, "it's the last badge, there's that sense of nervous excitement whenever I think about it. But…" I trailed off, a slight frown to my lips. I didn't want to upset him with the bad feeling I was getting, but it wasn't just something I could ignore. But looking at Tiran, I knew I couldn't tell him about the feeling; we would both need our wits about us when the time for the gym battle came. It was needless to upset us both. I smiled at him. "I've got an idea. How about we race? You through the skies, me underwater. See who gets there first?" I offered.

"Ha! I'll win that! No trainers in the air to slow me down!" Tiran grinned at me, dusting himself off. I smirked back at him.

"Then it's on, little brother," I held out a hand. He took it and shook it firmly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Start!" He let go of my hand and darted to the window, Pokéball in hand. He released his Tropius, Wisp following close behind as he jumped on the flying dinosaur. "See ya at the finish line big sis!" I grinned as he took off into the already fading sky, palming my own Pokéball and heading for the door. _It's on._

* * *

**A/N:** Oh sweet spirits, it's been 9 months since I updated. I cannot tell you all how _terrible_ I feel for leaving you hanging! I honestly hadn't thought it had been that long until I counted down the days. Forgive me? As a bribe, this _was_ a longer chapter than normal, and, um, I'm sorry? Heh.

**Reviewers that are Fantabulous:** KsandraMallan, EliteDog, Arcane1ManaX, ChaoticXXHearts, TinyAwkwardTurtles, IcyFeather12, Hironada, Drewbie, Gigglez190, Foonator, DudeGuyMcGuy, CrownofGold, TheManInTheHat, E, Blue Fire Lily, Nevin Slate, .panda, REV6Pilot, A Pokemon Fan, Sarah, Arrow Riddari, Twilight Emo Wind Goddess, Mercedes Wolfcry.

Oh, wow, 23 reviews. Damn. Thank you all so very much! And just to let you know... _we're almost there_.


	29. Twenty Eighth Entanglements

**Chapter Twenty Eight:**

Pressing my body as closely as possible to Percy, I felt the icy waves of Route 128 lapping at my feet. My boots were solid enough, and while they kept out the moisture, the chill was a different kind of beast. Mist rose in an almost powder like consistency around my Wailmer and I, leaving Percy's thick skin slick and damp; my gloved fingers had a difficult time grasping onto the grooves in his body, but I kept at it if only so I wouldn't slip into the frigid water around us.

"Damn you, Tiran," I grunted as a powerful wave rocked Percy's buoy-like body. It wasn't the first time I had cursed my friend for his luck; I could only imagine how much easier flying to Sootopolis would be than this chilly hell. Route 127 hadn't been so bad, the waves had been calmer and there was a distinct _lack_ of frozen mist that I couldn't help but long for, but Route 128 was far more nightmarish. Even as Percy and I made our way across the watery trail, I could feel the weight of the breathing device Steven had given me pressed against my pocket. I had the vague remembrance of just _how_ I was supposed to enter Sootopolis and I wasn't very happy with it. Going underwater in this weather? Not a pleasant thought.

"Waiiii," Percy sang at me, content in our environment.

"Oi! Hush, you. Not all of us have a three foot layer of blubber to get by on," I grouched at him. I rested my chin across my arms, frown in place, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a large, brown landmass. There were several rocks along the route with the same shade of dreary mud color to them, but I figured this one _had_ to be big enough to hold an entire city in it. _Well_, I thought, _it's not as if I have much of a choice now, do I?_ I knew that if we didn't at least _attempt_ to delve into the watery depths of Route 128, we would never find Sootopolis and would end up drifting in the sea for hours – if not days. _I refuse to be out here any longer than necessary_, I thought vehemently. I agreed much better with a warm environment than I did a cold one. The chill was leaving me more than a little mean spirited.

"All right, Percy," I told my water type, hanging onto him with one hand and grabbing the ventilator with the other, "we're heading toward that giant rock over there. See it?"

"Waaaiiiil-mer!" he professed, spinning his body roughly, sending me sliding over his back.

"Woah!" I yelped, fumbling with my grip. "Calm down a bit, will you?" I grumbled at him.

"Mer-mer," he yipped, speeding us toward the rock. I rolled my eyes.

"Of all the Wailmer in the sea, I get the one who has ADHD," I mumbled to myself. "Honestly." As we neared the rock, I slid the device into my mouth, testing out the breathing apparatus. It seemed to be working properly, but I was weary of trying it out underwater. _Oh well,_ I thought. _Now or never_. Taking it out, I gave one last command to my Wailmer. "Perc."

"Wai?"

"We're gonna go down as soon as we round the far edge, ok?" After getting a confirmation, I continued. "If I tap you twice, like this," _tap, tap_, "then we come back up, got it?"

"WAILMER!" he roared his approval. I nodded once, a little nervously, slipped the ventilator back in, then gripped onto the slick skin once more.

_Now or never, remember?_ I told myself. We came around the bend of the rock and immediately started our decent. I felt the water lap further up my boots and then, before long, felt it soaking into the heavy fabric of my pants. In no time, I was straining to hold my head above the water, and then that, too, became impossible. As we were dunked below the freezing sea, I held my breath for as long as possible, scared to trust in the machine to do its job. Soon, though, I had to because I was becoming light headed with the need for oxygen. I clenched my eyes shut and let the air go out of my lungs before the physical need made me gasp it right back in again.

_Shwee_; the ventilator bubbled, stingingly cold air filling my lungs. Relief possessed me and I finally took notice of my surroundings. First, of course, was the blinding coldness of the water. Second, though, was the view. Light filtered from above and all around me blue echoed in as many shades as I could think of. Murky darkness swept away the background, but closer to me seemed to be illuminated; even the massive rock we'd come to investigate was sparkling with minerals found only under the sea. The one mar on this, though, was the cave cut deep into the face of the rock, blackened and eerie.

_That is certainly an unfriendly entrance for the final city of Hoenn, _I thought, suddenly uncertain. But, if nothing else, this journey had taught me that not all is as it seems to be in the world of Pokémon. I nudged Percy, urging him toward the cave, and he heeded my command. As we entered, the light cut out, hampered by the roof of rock. _Tap, tap, _and suddenly, we were rocketing upward, breaking the surface of the ocean once more, only this time, we were in a cavern, torch lit and dank.

"W-where are we?" I chattered. This certainly didn't seem to be Sootopolis; most of the Pokémon Centers carried brochures for various towns across Hoenn. The one I'd seen on Sootopolis made it seem like an island oasis, everything built into the sides of the rock it inhabited. This… this was just a dark, dank cave set into the middle of the sea. "I t-think we took a wrong turn so-somewhere, Perce," I told my water type, patting his head. I nervously looked down at the darkened water we'd just risen up from. While I would have been more than happy to get out of this eerily creepy hidey-hole, I didn't think my body could handle another dunk into the frost-bitten sea.

"We'll just, uh," I coughed, limbs trembling as I slid my way off of Percy's back and onto the moist ground below, "rest here for a few minutes, yeah?"

"Waii," Percy agreed, rolling his huge body onto the mud-like earth. I leant against a large rock that protruded from the ground, sliding down to sit on the floor. I wrapped my arms around my knees in an effort to conserve my heat, but my limbs felt weak from the cold and I didn't seem to be able to hold on too tightly.

"Arceus, I hate the cold," I shuddered, head stooped between my crooked elbows, face nuzzled against my damp pants.

_"Did you hear that?"_ I heard echo faintly from out of the darkness. I snapped my head up and stilled, eyes narrowing as faint traces of memory seeped into my mind.

_"Don't be paranoid, Ricky,"_ another voice resonated from the distance. Grasping Percy's Pokéball from my belt, I silently issued a _return._ As the flash of light enveloped him, shouts came from the mystery men as they made their way to me and I darted behind the boulder I'd previously been leaning on. When they finally came into my torch lit area, my suspicions were proven correct. They were Aqua Grunts and _this_, this must be their elusive underwater headquarters. I nearly banged my head on the rock; how could I have forgotten something so integral to the plotline of the game? My memories were slipping from me and that, more than anything, made me afraid.

"See, I told you, it's nothing," the second voice sighed. I peered around my hiding spot and watched as the taller of the two shook his head.

"I'm telling you, I _heard_ something!" 'Ricky' said, eyes darting around the little clearing.

"Yeah, whatever," said the taller man. They continued arguing as they marched off to their presumed perch, on the lookout for anyone that didn't belong. And that just happened to be me.

I made my way through the tall rocks, squeezing between their slick masses in an attempt to circumvent the Grunts. It took me some doing, but I finally snuck past and came upon what appeared to be a man made doorway in the wall. Entering into it, I almost sighed in frustration. What awaited me was a maze in rock. _What is it with Aqua and their labyrinths?_ I questioned myself as I remembered their little hideout back in Lilycove. That, too, had been a web of teleporting pads and uniform rooms. Now, I had darkened alcoves and slick rock walls to meddle with. Sighing, I got to work.

* * *

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I leaned against the last of the dampened boulders, too exhausted to worry about getting caught. Every one of those damned things must have weighed a few hundred pounds, and to top it off the condensation on their sides made it that much harder to grasp them and push. The heavy exercise almost made me miss the icy waters of Route 128. Looking up, I noticed that the entranceway to the next section of headquarters was glowing faintly red. I shuddered, the dark color being far too reminiscent of blood for my taste. I got up from my stooped position on the ground and, brushing off my pants, made my way to the room. As I entered, I noticed it was less of a room with the traditional square shape and floor, and more like a giant indoor pool. Most of the room was taken up by a cliffy edge surrounding darkened, muddy water.

"So, you finally came, girlie." My head snapped up so fast my vision spun for a moment. "Took you long enough."

"Archie," I nodded brusquely. Hands clenching at my sides, I took in the glowing red orb that he held in his hands. A ball of lead fell to the pit of my stomach. "Tell me you didn't – "

"Didn't what?" Archie interrupted me, as casually uncouth as always. "Didn't do what I've been planning for months now? Didn't take this orb," he held it high above his head, near manic grin in place as he gazed at it, "and use it to summon the almighty Kyogre? Didn't use it to fulfill my destiny and rid this earth of all the pollution, waste, and greed that the land has to offer?" He let out a loud cackle of laughter, his eyes holding an insane glint that made me wary to even be in the same room as him.

"Archie, you have to put it away," I warned him. Something about holding that orb while it was glowing was causing this delirium, I was sure of it. While the leader of Team Aqua was never one of the sanest people I'd ever met (what kind of reasonable person wants to flood the planet?) this was taking it too far.

"Put it away?" he asked, as if that where the most irrational suggest he'd ever heard. "But I've come so far for this! This is the moment I've been waiting my entire life for, girlie," his grin dropped off and the pitch of his voice lowered into a growl that made my hair stand on edge. "And _you_ aren't gonna be the one to come between _me_ and my goal." The look in his eye took a dangerous edge to it and, before I knew what was happening, he'd thrown out a Pokéball.

Leaping out of the reddened light, a Mightyena came, roar fierce and with sick foam leaking from its mouth. _Rabies_, I thought sadly. _It's always the rabies_. Clenching a Pokéball in my own hand, I shouted out to Archie. "Don't make me do this. _Please_ don't make me do this." His grin was the only answer I needed. This fight would end in blood.

"Bite!" he commanded of his sick Pokémon. As the dog leapt toward me, I threw my ball, and Vexyl emerged from it, hitting it square in the face as it jumped forward.

"Mi!" it yelped, skidding across the dank ground and landing at its master's feet. It snarled as it tried to get up, but Vexyl, sensing how this would end, beat it to the punch. He landed a swift stomp to the Mightyena's head and, with a sickened crunch, the dark type was no more. My lips pursed, but I nodded my approval to Vex. As much as I hated seeing it, he always knew the most decisive course of action to take.

"You little – " Archie sneered, throwing out another ball with his free hand, the pulsing orb still gathered closely to his person. A foaming Sharpedo sprang free of the confines of its ball and immediately latches its teeth onto Vexyl's arm. My heard shuddered to a stop and all at once began beating twice as hard in a frantic staccato.

"No," I breathed, barely believing that this just happened. Not to my Vexyl, not my Blaziken. As I stood, frozen to the spot, Vex smashed his way through the tough outer skin of the shark's flank, finally grasping sharp claws onto the soft insides of the Pokémon. With a burst of flame at the exposed muscle, the Sharpedo was out for the count, but so was Vex. He fell to the ground, kneeling and breathing heavily, clutching at the bloody laceration on his arm.

"Ken!" he snapped at me as I dashed forward with the overwhelming need to help. I skid to a stop and he once again focused his grimacing face at the steadily purpling marks.

"Gotcha," I heard Archie snarl as a third and final Pokémon was released.

"Crooo-bat!" it crooned, swooping low in an attempt at my starter. Vex rolled out of the way but let out a pain-filled gasp for it, claws clenching desperately over his wound. My hand went on auto-pilot and grasped another ball, tossing it before I could even think of whom I was sending into battle. A round object emerged and, before I knew it, Nero was rolling quickly toward Vexyl, shielding him from the Aerial Ace that the enemy Crobat was dishing out. Nero stood guard, too new to know how to move, and I had to shake myself out of the stupor I was in, in order to command him somehow.

"Nero," I said, grasping the first attack that came to mind, "Spark!"

"Eleeeeeee-trooooode!" my electric type droned, releasing a powerful shock of electricity at the flying type circling above. At first, I thought the attack had missed but, as I watched the Crobat swoop around in the condensation filled air, the spike of energy hit the damp wall and filled the room with an electrifying shock.

"Crooo!" it sobbed as its body was wracked with the onslaught of energy. The zing of electricity proved to be too much for its body to handle and before we could fire a second attack, it had fallen from the air with a wet _thunk_.

As I stood, breathing heavily against the stench of death and feeling of uselessness as my starter clutched his arm, I looked up at Archie. Gone was the look of delirium and mad glee and in its place was a slow realization that he had lost and that I was now going to end this insanity.

"No!" he hissed, clutching the pulsating orb with both hands now, huddling it close to his chest. "I won't let you! You are too late to stop this now!"

"Shut UP!" I screamed at him, the raging emotions of the battle finally getting to me. I couldn't bear to look at Vexyl, for fear of seeing his mouth start to foam and body start to shake with the disease. I also couldn't look at the bodies of the fallen Pokémon around us; no matter who their master was, or what had happened to them, this was not the death they deserved. My clenched hands shook with the effort to look Archie dead in the eye and talk. "You have all but killed the Pokémon I hold dearest to me and you dare stand there and tell me _no_? You have another think coming, Archie, if you think I will let that pass," I breathed, heart heavy and pulse pounding. "You _will_ hand that thing over, you _will_ stop this madness, and you _will_ come peacefully or so help me, Arceus himself won't have power enough to restrain me," I snarled.

There must have been something in my eyes that scared him, for when I walked up to him, standing a good six inches shorter and who knows how much weaker, he handed the orb to me with only an echo of hesitation. As soon as the orb touched my skin, the glowing ceased and the air around us lost the crackling of energy that had come with whatever pulse this thing held. Grasping it firmly, I gave Archie a no-nonsense look that said "do _not_ move" and headed toward my Pokémon. Vexyl was still kneeling, face hovered close to his arm but, as I neared, he lifted his head to me. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized that there was no foaming mouth or mad gleam in his eyes. What did concern me, however, was the bubbling flesh where dense feathers used to be on his arm.

"You cauterized the wound," I said disbelievingly.

"Blaze," he nodded, his breathing sounding pained. I frowned before grasping two Pokéballs in my hand, and, without further ado, returned both of my monsters. While there may have been no immediate danger to the disease, the wound was now nastier than ever and needed to be treated quickly. Turning on my heel, I jerked my head at Archie.

"You are coming with me."

* * *

**A/N: **Oh my Arceus! We've broken 300 reviews, you guys! And are now officially on Chapter 28! Red Tide is just over two years old and I wouldn't celebrate it with anyone other than my favorite readers - yes, that means YOU! :D I'm sorry for being away for a while, but life's been a little hectic lately (promotions, got into my graduate program, life...) so, yeah, I apologize for that. But I'm here now and I have a new chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it, I certainly liked that dash of Evil!Lucy at the end, didn't you?

**Reviewers who are wonderful and get special treats for commenting:** ValroggTheInvincible, EliteDog, ArrowRidari, KsandraMallan, MercedesWolfcry, SilverShadow3, Drewbie, WildCroconaw, Mystic Dewdrop, Daicha, ASiriusWriter01, The Imaginatrix, and Flandre Nightshade Scarlet!


	30. Twenty Ninth Tensions

**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**

"_Stop moving_," I growled low in my throat after removing the ventilator from my mouth. Archie immediately stilled, though he didn't look happy at my demands.

After bypassing all of his guards in the seafloor cavern, I had lashed Aqua Team's leader with spare cord and had him grasp onto one of Percy's fins. It was far from a comfortable experience for my passenger, I was sure, but I was in no mood to be charitable, not after what he'd done. After resurfacing on Route 128, it hadn't taken long to find the correct formation of rock, and with one more dive, we had reached Sootopolis. Archie's demeanor had mellowed drastically after I hid the red orb away in my pack, and as our surfing continued, he became more and more irritating the closer we got to our final destination.

The gleam of afternoon sun shone brightly off the placid waters of the inner city, and after I squinted my eyes, I finally located a Pokémon Center on the far edge of the town. Archie grumbled as we continued on, but I paid him no heed. My shoulders ached with the effort to remain astride Percy as we made the last leg of our journey, and the only thing keeping me from slipping off was the thought that, at some point during the final hours of this day, the world would finally be rid of Archie's menacing. While imprisoning a man was never one of my life goals, I couldn't help but feel satisfied that I would be the one to drag this particular monster in.

"Waiilmer," Percy sang as we finally made it to the edge of Sootopolis' inner lake. Carefully climbing off of his back, I reached out, snagged the make-shift cord cuffs from around his fin, and dragged Team Aqua's leader ashore. Archie panted with the effort to stand, the cold water weighing him down and freezing his joints just as it had done to mine.

"Perce, return," I commanded, one hand on his Pokéball while the other held Archie at arm's length. I wasn't quite sure where I thought he'd run off to, only that if given half a chance he would. Tucking the ball back into its slot on my belt, I tugged my hostage's arm firmly in the direction of the Pokémon Center. Entering it, I marched us directly toward the counter to speak with Nurse Joy.

"Hello, how can I help you…to…day…?" Nurse Joy started cheerfully, only to trail off as she saw our soaking and disheveled forms.

"Hi," I said unsmilingly back, eyes half lidded and tired. Vex's ball was warm at my hip and I was far from a humorous mood. "Do you think we could speak privately?" I asked, one brow arching in question.

"Oh! Yes, of course," she nodded, glancing quickly between the hand that held Archie's upper arm, his own tied appendages, and our drenched bodies. I ignored the tension she was displaying, if only because I was in no frame of mind to deal with easing her worries. We followed her to a back room, not unlike the one I'd stayed in at Fortree City. I sat Archie down on the bed far enough in that his back was leaning on the wall and his feet no longer touched the ground. "Now," the nurse said, facing us with more calm than she'd displayed a moment ago. "Care to tell me what exactly is going on here?" she asked, hands clasped in front of her serenely. _If only I could gather that much grace_, I thought forlornly.

As Archie went to speak – spout lies, no doubt, to sway Joy to his side of the story – I shot him a look of reproach, and he closed his mouth. Obviously, I looked as mean as I felt. Turning back to Nurse Joy, I spoke. "You've heard reports of the submarine theft from Slateport's shipyard, yes?" At her nod, I continued. "And of the uniformed men storming the museum?" Another nod. "And the recent pilfering of Mt. Pyre's sacred orbs?" With another nod of assent, her eyes lingered judgmentally on Archie's form, the dots finally connecting. "Each one of these crimes was perpetrated by a rogue organization called Team Aqua. This," I gestured to my captive, "is their leader, Archie. Nurse?"

"Yes?" she responded, eyes snapping away from his prone form to meet mine.

"I need to trust you with this information," I told her, attempting to convey how serious this was with my facial expression. From what I could tell, it was working; her back was a little straighter, and her gaze a little harder on my prisoner. "I need to contact the League Officials and relay the message that he's here and in captivity."

"Actually," she interrupted me, "the League is in town."

At that, I paused. My mind went over it – of _course_ the League would be in town. They always seemed to be there at the most opportune (and inopportune) moment. Now, the only question was why. After a moment I nodded at Nurse Joy. "That's good, then," I said. "We can get all of this cleared up as quickly as possible. Do you know where they're at or what they're here for?"

She tilted her head to the side, long pink hair moving with her. "Leader Wallace stopped in a few hours ago and mentioned it to me; perhaps they are with him?" Thinking about it, that seemed probable. As that matter was settled, I changed topic to one much more personally important. Unclipping my Pokébelt, I held it out to Nurse Joy with a hand that trembled faintly. Now that the pressing matter of locking Archie away had reached an impasse, I wanted my family healed as quickly as possible.

"My Pokémon were hurt in battle," I explained to her as she took the belt in confusion. "My starter – the first one," I tapped the familiar bright red ball with a finger lovingly, "was bitten by an infected Pokémon. He managed to cauterize the wound," I said quickly as the look in her eye changed to one of pity. "I think it may have slowed the virus down, but he needs help." I begged her, both with my voice and my eyes, to help my Vexyl overcome this. He had been stable when I returned him to his capsule, but that could have easily changed in the interim.

Nodding firmly, Nurse Joy turned to Archie. She must have gathered that the fight I had been in had been with Archie, and that his Pokémon had given Vex the virus, for the look she gave him was so full of contempt and raw disgust that I saw the hardened criminal flinch back just ever so slightly. "We'll use plastic cables to keep him in place," she told me, voice hard as she gazed at Archie. "That way, there won't be any chance he could get away," she looked at me, and I knew she would do everything in her power to help me with these things. I warmed at the pure _goodness_ radiating from Joy and was glad that I had come to her with this.

After we'd secured Archie with the plastic cables, Joy led me to the critical care unit of the Pokémon Center. Putting a comforting hand on my shoulder, she sat me down in one of the hard waiting room benches. "We'll do our best," she told me soothingly. "We recently received a shipment of a prototype vaccine from Devon Corps medical division. I need your permission to administrate it to your Pokémon." Knowing that there was nothing else she could really do I nodded, a brick in my stomach. As she walked away, I let my shoulders slump and leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees.

Now that the adrenaline and anger from my match with Archie had fully worn off, I could feel shudders wracking my body. I was still so cold and wet from the water that the pain in my sore muscles intensified, only to be made worse by frayed emotions. I don't think I realized until that moment just how close I was to losing Vexyl. Even with all of the close calls and vicious battles we'd had to undergo, I'd never really stopped to think about how many times we stared death in the face.

Even if, by some cosmic anomaly, I managed to get back to Earth – the Earth I'd come from, anyway – I knew I would never forget the Pokémon I'd lost along this journey. It was seven, now, with the death of Copper. Eight, if I ended up losing Vexyl, too. A sob worked its way out of me at the thought. I couldn't lost Vex, it would hurt too much, be too painful for me to ever recover from.

I wouldn't survive it.

No matter how close I became to any of my other Pokémon, Vexyl and I would always have a connection unlike any other. He was my first. And, though he was larger, stronger, and probably even more intelligent than I was, a part of me saw him as my child. I'd held him when he was nothing but a rambunctious Torchic, screamed when he grew into an uncooperative Combusken, and laughed when he became a dominating powerhouse of a Blaziken. I loved each of my Pokémon as if they were my own flesh and blood, but Vexyl would always own a part of me that was never mine to give away.

I don't know how long I sat there, agonizing over my weakened Pokémon. My mind was a tilt-o-whirl, shifting quickly from rationalizing a probable scenario in which Vex made it out unscathed and a scene where Joy just walked out from behind the emergency doors, head shaking sadly and gloves stained with blood, pieces of Vexyl's fine feathers flittering about her. I closed my eyes, and leaned my head on a tightly clenched fist, and tried to will the image away. Instead, I gritted my eyes together so hard that spots appeared. It was a small improvement.

Even more time passed, and I barely registered that there were other people in the room, each as desperate for a happy outcome as I, and each just as nerve-wracked. After watching a ten year old burst out into tears and clutch at his mother in sadness, I drew my knees up to the bench and hugged myself the same way. I felt so alone without the reassuring weight of my Pokéballs at my hip. It was like I'd never had them, and that hurt. At some point, I heard the backroom door open. I didn't bother looking up – the same doorway had been gone through many times already, and none of them for me.

"Lucy," a soft voice came from directly in front of me. I lifted my head from my enveloped knees and finally, _finally_, saw a true vision of Nurse Joy in front of me. Her eyes were tired – nearly as tired as I felt – but they held light in them. That light gave me hope.

"Tell me," I demanded quietly. I had hope, but I wasn't a fool. There was only a slim chance that medication would actually work, and I wouldn't fool myself into believing that I'd get happily ever after just because I was the one chosen for this.

"I won't lie to you," she said, sincerity ringing in her tone. "It was difficult; the Blaziken was in bad shape by the time you got him to us. The cauterization helped immensely," she paused, giving me a long look. "He probably would have been dead, otherwise," she told me. I flinched and gasped, feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. "You were extremely lucky to have gotten him here in time."

_In time._

"He's - ?" I asked, unable to finish my sentence, my relief was so great.

"He will live," she nodded finally, and I sobbed in happiness. My limbs started shaking even harder, exhaustion and relief taking hold. "But…" she trailed off.

My heart stopped. "What?" I demanded, unfolding from myself and turning to face her fully.

"I'm afraid it was too late for his infected arm," she finally sighed. "We didn't have to amputate, thankfully, but it would be unwise for him to abuse it too much in a battle."

I slumped, back hitting the wall. If that was all the damage that had been done to him, it was more than I had hoped for.

"Thank you," I breathed, voice shaking. "Thank you."

* * *

I sat, muscles tense but quivering, and just watched him breathe. He was alive and well and _clean_. I could see where blood blended with perfect red feathers, but his body was clear of infection and that was what mattered.

"Vex," I spoke, knowing that he wouldn't hear me but needing to say it anyway. "You can't leave me, do you understand? I don't give you many orders you can't back out on, but this is one of them. You _cannot_ leave me," I whispered, and a part of me broke as I finally let the tears slip down my face. I knew he was fine, he would be fine, but it didn't seem to matter. Inside, I felt like a whimpering child, my spirit broken even as new hope arose.

Instead of wiping the tears away or forcing myself to stop, I let them come.

* * *

The sun blinded me as I left the Pokémon Center, and I had to put a hand up to block it out. I'd had a fitful sleep in the chair Nurse Joy had allowed me to bring into Vexyl's recovery room and as such had woken up far earlier than I'd meant to. Wingull were crooning overhead as they circled the mouth of Sootopolis' rounded wall. I fingered the belt at my hip, deliberately skipping the empty slot where Vex's ball should have been. The Nurse had insisted upon another day of rest and recovery, and I wasn't willing to risk Vex's health and agreed to keep him there for a while longer. I felt better with my other Pokémon with me, though there was still an empty feeling that followed along like a shadow.

As my eyes adjusted to the bright light, I looked across the lake that made up the center of the town. Sunlight sparkled off the calm waters and guided my eyes to the Gym that lay in the middle of the lake. As I glanced around the town, the buildings built into the walls and towering over the lake, I couldn't help but notice that they all faced the Gym. It was an eerie quality for such a serene town. Diverting my eyes back to the Gym, I noticed a thin walkway connecting this side of town to the Gym, the path mirroring on the other side. Knowing that the Gym was the best place to start, I walked across the surprisingly sturdy pier.

Before I could get to the building, the gleaming doorway opened.

"It's coming, Stephen," a Hispanic man insisted to the familiar profile of Stephen Stone. His gestures were frantic and I was immediately set on edge.

"You think I don't know that, Juan?" the Champion hissed back at him, hand running through his slate colored hair.

"I think it's time to tell them – tell _her_," Juan all but pleaded to Stephen, accented voice hushing to a whisper as he glanced over Stephen's shoulder and finally saw me. His dark eyes widened marginally and his brows rose. "Or maybe we already have…" At that, Stephen turned to face me and I could see his furrowed brows shift downward in discontent, like a man whose secrets had been found out too early. Maybe they had.

"Lucy," he greeted me stiffly.

"Stephen," I responded in kind as I neared them.

"Made it all the way to the eighth gym, I see," he said, voice coolly complimenting my progression. I nodded before glancing between the two of them. Hoenn's Champion was calm and collected, if a little cool, while what I presumed was Sootopolis's Gym Leader was a little more anxious. Juan looked like he could be debonair, under normal circumstances, but these were far from.

"I don't think now is the time for small talk, Stephen," Juan said briskly before hustling forward to greet me. He grabbed my hand from my side and bent over it lowly, forehead grazing the back of my gloved hand before he righted himself. "Greetings, I am Juan Mendoza, Leader of the Sootopolis Ice Gym. I am to presume that you are the girl that Stephen has told me so much about?" His accent was pleasant, if a little harried.

"I guess so," I said, unsure of how to respond.

"Good," Juan said. "Now that introductions are over, I insist that we take this meeting to a more appropriate venue. The Cave of Origin, perhaps?"

"Juan," Stephen hissed through gritted teeth, grabbing a hold of the Hispanic man's arm as he went to turn away. "We agreed that now was not the time to – "

"_You_ agreed, Stephen!" Juan bellowed, grey streaked hair mussed from his frazzled movements. "But just because you say something does not make it so," he intoned. His jaw had a hard set to it and he glared fiercely into the silver haired man's eyes. "I believe it is _far_ past time that these secrets were revealed. It will do nothing but hurt us otherwise." They held each other's gazes for a moment longer before Stephen dropped his hand from Juan's arm. He nodded stiffly at the leader before taking a step back and addressing me.

"He is right." His eyes met mine. "There are things you must know."

* * *

The Cave of Origin was dark but warm. It was a nice change from the dankness of the seafloor cavern, and I couldn't complain. As we settled onto log benches in the inner sanctum of the cave, a fire crackling merrily in front of us, I cast a glance around. The walls were uneven and rough with a red hue to them, a perfect contrast to the gleam of the bleached rock on the surface of the city. On one wall, though, sketchy pictures were formed from shaky chalk lines and bright paints.

In the center a large, serpent lay spiraled in on itself, fierce dragon-like face open in a roar. On either side of it were a red beast set upon its hind legs and breathing fire and a blue one cradled low in jagged aqua waves. Below them were glowing orbs, one sapphire and the other ruby, with an emerald cradled by the dragon in between. The red beast was obviously Groudon, and the blue was definitely Kyogre; the green one, one the other hand, niggled familiarly at the back of my mind, though I couldn't place it.

"There is much that you need to know," Juan told me. I had to break my gaze away from the enthralling caricatures on the wall in order to pay attention. "Though perhaps it is best if Stephen starts." He nodded to Hoenn's Champion.

Taking a deep breath, Stephen started to speak. "Ten years ago, the world was on the brink of destruction." Stephen paused, eyes staring blankly into the fire. "Not many know this, but there is more to war than bloody fights on a battlefield far from home," he said, voice soft. "Back then, we were amidst such a war. A powerful entity rose up out of the shadows, subtle and cutting people to their core without a blade ever being drawn. They called themselves Team Rocket; acted like business men while really all they were were crooks of a most devious sort." Stephen raised steel colored eyes to clash with my green ones and continued. "It was a war of corruption, greed, and scandal. It started in Kanto before bleeding into Johto, a sick poison that damaged everyone it came in contact with.

"We were all aware, of course, of the damage that Team Rocket was doing. Businesses were shutting down, shady dealings were more prevalent than ever, and it seemed that not even the most trustworthy were loyal anymore. We all had hope, though," he sighed, a deep, weary sound that I'd heard Morgan make on more than one occasion. It was unsettling in how defeated it seemed. "Hope that one day our founding regions would rise up and fight against the blackness that consumed them. That day would never come."

Stephen ruffled his hair once more, as if the action gave him strength enough to continue on. "There are four truly powerful psychic trainers in the world," he told me as he ticked them off on his fingers. "William, of the Johto Elite, has been training since he was a child to be the man he is today. Lucian, a prodigy, his remarkable scores in school and his natural talent lead him to become the youngest member of Sinnoh's Elite. Caitlin, whose talents and powerful Pokémon were gifted to her by her grandmother. And Sabrina, the first true Psychic Trainer that the Pokémon League ever had. Each of these Psychics were spread across the four corners of the world and," he gave me a bone chilling look, "each of them had the same vision of its destruction at the same moment in time."

The cave went silent at that declaration and it took me a moment to understand what he was saying. "You mean…?"

Stephen nodded, understanding my unasked question. "Yes. The future was so earth shaking that it came to each of them in one powerful burst. This happens, on occasion, though only a handful of times that we have managed to track," he told me. "Once, about 1,200 years ago when the People of the Water were still one of the more prevalent civilizations, their soothsayers had a similar experience; our closest guess as to what the vision pertained was the massive tsunami that swept them into the history books not even a year later. There are rumors of a few other times that such a thing has happened, but none more substantial than that. All we knew was that this communal vision was one to be feared and prevented." He rubbed a hand over his eyes, as if just telling the story were exhausting him beyond measure. Juan tapped his shoulder with a soothing hand before taking his turn to lead.

"We came up with a plan," he told me, soft accent echoing in the chamber. "It was obvious that no one from this world could deviate from the linear path that time follows," he said, hands moving in a slow gesture. "What we know of the last occurrences had proven that much. And so we decided to try a different method."

Realization struck me and I could feel my face express the shock. "You needed one of us…" I trailed off as I realized, speaking more to myself than anything. "Someone from the real world, someone _not_ from here."

"Yes," Juan nodded, hands now clasped loosely in his lap.

"You needed Morgan," I whispered as the idea clicked. Stephen was the one to confirm my conclusion this time, though his nod seemed like a pained one. "But – " I shook my head. "But it didn't work! Team Rocket is still out there, even I know that much."

"Morgan prevented their immediate success, but they are still operating in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to strike," the Champion spoke. "We had not realized when we brought Morgan over, but the quest we sent him out on was a hard journey to make, especially by one's self. You begin to depend solely on your Pokémon as the tie that binds you and when that tenuous relationship snaps, you follow along with it."

Sadness seeped through me as I understood what he was saying. "His Pokémon were all he had," I concluded, voice breaking even as I clenched my hands into tight fists. "And when Rocket killed them, he had no reason to fight on." It was a familiar story. The words Morgan had said to me were echoing in my ears, as if he were right next to me and far away all at once.

_We fought and fought and fought but we just weren't strong enough. Magnemite evolved, and we crushed our last opponent, but the damage was done. My other Pokémon were dead._

"Yes," Stephen said, "and it was a mistake that I didn't want to make again." I looked up at him again, brow furrowed and tears still stinging at the backs of my eyes. "You see, about a year ago now, the Psychics had another vision." My heart stopped for a moment. A year ago… that was only nine and a half months before I'd been pulled into this world. So that meant… "Yes, Lucy," Stephen told me as he saw the realization in my eyes. "You were the one we chose to avert this apocalypse."

I could feel my arms start to shake as the knowledge settled onto my shoulders like a smothering blanket. A distant part of me was laughing bitterly. _I guess Stephanie was right; I really am the protagonist of this story_.

"The Psychics saw a more physical corruption this time," Stephen continued, looking as though now that he'd started he _needed_ to get the words out and off of his chest. "Fire and water would clash until one gave way to the other, and the world would pay for it," he said, staring into my eyes pleadingly, asking that I understand. "We knew from the tragedy we'd caused with Morgan that you couldn't be left on your own. If you were to lose your Pokémon…" he hesitated, looking for a delicate way to phrase what had already been on my mind.

"I wouldn't have survived," I said, voice blank with the thought. I knew it was the truth. I knew that if I had been left alone in this world without anyone else to cling to, and my Pokémon had been slaughtered like so many before, my mind would have cracked under the cocktail of guilt, depression, and loneliness. Faces came to my mind as I realized that I wasn't alone; Morgan, Tiran, and Stephanie were the most prominent followed closely by Eric and even Stephen himself.

"Yes," he agreed, not insulting my intelligence by sugar coating the matter. "So we brought in others to help you along the way. You would need their stability one way or another and it was all we could think to do."

"Where did you put the others? The Gym Leaders – the _true_ Leaders," I asked as the thought came to mind. Juan was here and obviously someone who was from this world and a part of Stephen's plan so I could only assume that the others were around somewhere.

"Ah, yes," Juan nodded. "We all agreed that the best way for you to come in contact with the others were to put them in your path. We requested that the Leaders give up their positions for the sake of the mission, and they agreed. They are sequestered in a house in Ever Grande City, at the heart of the League." I nodded.

"And what about Tiran?" I questioned. My little not-brother didn't fit in the category of Leader and I wondered why he had been brought here at all.

"Tiran is a…_special _case," Stephen confessed. "He was meant to be your companion on this journey, so that you could help each other when there was no one else there. But the process of pulling someone from your world into this one is complicated and takes a lot of energy." His eyes were downcast in shame. "Tiran was the last that we brought in, and we made a mistake that cost him his age and his memories," he admitted. "It was an unfortunate accident."

It may have been that my mind was still trying to process the truth, but I sat quietly for a moment, unable to say a word. So many thoughts were racing through my mind – questions, worries, and indignations fought to the forefront of my mind before being pushed aside by another query or fear. What gave them the right to steal us from our world? Just how powerful were these Psychics?

"Can we ever go home?" It took me a moment to realize I'd asked the question out loud. When I did, I looked up at the shame-filled faces of Juan and Stephen. Without them ever speaking, I had my answer. A bitter pang ran through me. I would never see my family again.

"Lucy, I'm sorr – " Stephen began, eyes begging forgiveness. He was cut off by a vicious bark of thunder that shook the cave.

"They're here," Juan spoke, terror lining his voice as we all looked up as more crashing booms rang out.

"Who?" I asked, gripping the log beneath me as our cave reverberated with the sounds.

"The beasts of earth, tide, and sky."

* * *

**A/N:** *wipes brow* That's about 5,000 words, y'all! Wonderful, isn't it? And you know what's even better?... We only have three chapters left! I can't believe that we're almost to the end. I'm sad and thrilled all at once.

**Reviewers:** Gigglez190, ValroggtheInvinvible, ChaoticXXHearts, Arrow Riddari, EliteDog, Mercedes Wolfcry, The Imaginatrix.

**PS:** I have great news! I've finally got a lovely new Beta! Her name is Miss Meh and she is wonderful (if a little comma-picky, haha). Give the girl a round of applause. :)


	31. Thirtieth Thrills

**Red Tide**

**Chapter Thirty:**

The three of us made a frantic dash toward the entrance of the Cave of Origins as yet more roars made their way to our ears. The cave shook with the power behind the sound and dust fell upon our heads. As we neared the mouth of the cave a dark rain greeted us in place of the sunny day we'd left behind.

"Mi dios," Juan breathed in awe as we stepped hesitantly into the rain. Above us the rain clouds had gathered, thick and stormy. Lightning flashed as mightily as the powerful thunder that shook the ground beneath our feet. Just above the usually placid lake of Sootopolis, two figures – _monsters,_ my mind supplied as I looked upon their massive forms – fought. Each bash of their bodies as they collided in battle rang out as loudly as the thunder from above. "I have never seen such a sight."

Beside me, Stephen took a retreating step in a terrified sort of awe. His back bumped the wall and I could see that he was using it as a support for his weak knees. I didn't blame him any. My own legs were shaking from the sight. I had been in many Pokémon battles – most friendly and some with more bloodshed than a victory really required. But this… this was chaos, fighting for the sake of violence. As I watched the colossal bodies of Kyogre and Groudon battle, I too was mesmerized in a terrible sort of way. It was like trying to look away from an accident but being unable to tear your eyes from the sight. Curiosity and a twinge of horror kept me rooted to the spot.

The way they fought was almost beautiful. It was easy to tell that neither was holding back any of their strength as they landed one after another vicious assault against their enemy. Loud screeches echoed off the city walls as one or the other was hurt by a particularly painful attack, the sound cutting into me like knives.

"They have to stop," I shook my head as I watched on in despair. _No one_ should have to fight like that, so fully ready to kill or be killed.

"They won't stop, not until one of them is dead," Stephen's voice shook, his normally cool demeanor cracking.

Suddenly, a powerful burst of wind whipped past us, knocking me off my feet. I landed on my hands and knees and looked up as quickly as I could, wind still whipping about me. The beast that had caused such an impossible wind swam through the air and dodged through the lightning as if Arceus itself was after it. Its long, serpent like body coiled around itself before stretching out in a horrifying display of just how large it really was.

"Rayquaza." As soon as the name left my lips I knew it to be true; this was the last of the legendary trio, the one that was supposed to end the fighting. But as I watched, and as I waited, the sky high Pokémon did nothing of the sort. Instead, it zipped about Sootopolis, its speed forming cyclones in the rain. My eyes widened. "It shouldn't be doing that," I said, so very confused. "It's the one that's supposed to stop them, isn't it? It's supposed to be the peacemaker of the three!" By that point I'd struggled to my feet and turned to face my two companions. Both wore grim, sorrowful faces. "Isn't it?" I asked as I turned my eyes back to the destruction that raged.

"Yes," Stephen replied. "It – it's supposed to keep them from fighting, keep the world in order." His eyes flitted between the three legendaries, looking just as confused as I was. The air Pokémon had started to lash its tail out in powerful strikes, bringing down buildings and chunks of wall as it raced around Sootopolis' perimeter. "Earth, sky, water – three elemental, ancient Pokémon meant to keep each other in balance. But something's wrong," he shook his head in frustration. "It shouldn't be like this!"

As I gazed upon Rayquaza in some desperate, foolish attempt to understand, I saw something glow amidst the mass of green and yellow scales. It was a fierce sapphire color, sharp and poisonous looking amongst the carnage around it. As I squinted my eyes, I realized what it was. The sacred blue orb.

"That's why…" I said to myself. If the red one had made Archie go mad with power, I could only guess as to what the blue would do in the grip of a legendary. As I came to that conclusion, I knew what I had to do. Turning swiftly on my heel, I grabbed the bag I'd left at the mouth of the cave and slung it over my shoulder before jumping down the steps two at a time.

"Where are you going?" Stephen shouted over the tumultuous sounds of the battle. I turned back to him for a moment, just long enough to respond.

"Ending something that I should have long ago," I replied, eyes fierce as they gazed into Stephen's before turning back and racing down the steps.

My feet led me to the flat plane of brick just at the water's edge behind the Gym. Looking up, I made sure to be as close to Rayquaza as possible before pulling out Jesus' ball and calling her out to me.

"Gardev!" she exclaimed as soon as she took in our surroundings. It was a milder response to the one I thought she'd give; as an empathic Pokémon, she felt all the raging emotions the boiled around us and I was proud of her for having a mastery over them in such a chaotic time. She looked at me with wide ruby colored eyes. "_Master?"_

I gave her a tight smile. "I need your help, J. You see that Pokémon," I pointed at Rayquaza. "We need to get what he's holding in his claws." I saw her eyes narrow as she focused in on the blue orb. Turning back to me, she nodded. "Ready?"

"_Always."_

"Shockwave!" The attack was a powerful one, thanks to the rest she had gotten at the Pokémon Center. It ripped its way across the water before vaulting into the air and straight at an unknowing Rayquaza. As the attack neared, J rose her hands to her head in a meditative manner as she watched on. The sky guardian noticed the shockwave just before the attack struck and dodged out of the way lithely. Its beady black and yellow eyes trained in on Jesus and me and began to charge. As it came closer, I positioned myself in the safest place possible, right behind my psychic.

"Wait for it," I told J softly and she nodded, eyes trained on the Pokémon closing in on us and arms still raised. "Now!"

"Gardevoir!" she shouted as she thrust her palms out to face Rayquaza. A jagged current zipped through the air and landed on Rayquaza just as it neared.

"Quaaaa!" it screeched as the Future Sight took effect, scrambling its mind and hurting it. It thrashed about in a fit of pain and dropped the blue orb it had so desperately clutched in its claws. Before the sky guardian could recover, I hastily snatched the red orb I'd taken from Archie and tossed it as far into the water as I could. The two orbs splashed roughly in the turbulent depths, the lake's current already spinning them around in a frenzied dance.

For a moment, I thought it hadn't worked and that we were doomed – that nothing I could do now would stop the legendaries from their vicious warfare. But, before my very eyes, the two orbs started to glow. Gone was the sickly, poisonous light that they had held before. In its place was a luminescent cascade of color rising up from the depths of the lake. I had to tear my eyes away from the sight, but as soon as I did, I was certain that the plan had worked.

Rayquaza was no longer writhing in pain from J's attack, but rather had drifted back into the sky, a gentle breeze in its wake. And, across the lake from us, Kyogre and Groudon had dealt their final blows. There was a moment of peace before everything was set in motion once more. Kyogre delved back into the calming waves of the lake with a titanic splash and Groudon scaled the outer wall to leave, leaving a last roar in its wake. The rain stopped and as I looked up the nightmarish clouds were blowing away in a light wind.

Looking around, I realized that it was over. There were no legendaries lurking about, no Aqua or Magma thugs waiting to start a riot, and no rabies infested Pokémon ready to shed blood. Everything I had been through in the last two months I had been in the Pokémon world had come to this.

Peace.

It was a wonderful feeling.

* * *

The calmness I had felt standing with Jesus by the lake didn't last very long. As soon as everyone was sure the chaos was over they all came rushing from their homes, intent on seeing what destruction was done to their city. Instead of inspecting the leftovers of the legendary battle, I made my way over to the Pokémon center. The day had not been a long one, but it had certainly been hard fought and for that I was exhausted. After I walked over to the trainer couches in the corner of the room, I slumped onto one of the comfortable things and lay my head back. Glancing about, I was almost surprised to see a familiar face.

"You find Rayquaza?" Tiran asked, voice light and face tired. He was laid out on the opposite couch to mine, his Xatu pressed against his side. I grimaced.

"More like Rayquaza found me," I said, head lolling backwards and my eyes closing. "Haven't seen you in a few days, bro. Thought you were going to beat me here?" My lips twisted in a wry grin.

His hand drifted down to the Pokébelt at his waist, eyes moistening with what seemed to be tears of joy. "I ran into a little trouble," he said smiling, "but it turned out to be good." His brows came together as a thought came to mind. "After we beat the legendaries and get the badge it's on to Victory Road."

I nodded. "Well, we have one down, now it's really just the battle with Juan we have to worry about here in Sootopolis," I told him. As my sore body gave another twinge – unhappy with the treatment I'd given it the last several days – I decided that wasn't something that had to be dealt with immediately. "That can wait for tomorrow," I sighed, slouching back further on the couch. "All I want to do right now is sleep."

He yawned in what I could only assume was agreement before closing his eyes. "It's good to see you again, big sis." As his voice trailed off I realized he was asleep.

Smiling softly at him, I said, "You too, little brother," before fading away myself.

* * *

Gasping for breath, I tumbled off the Center couch with a resounding thunk. I rested my head on the cool tile beneath me as I calmed my breathing. As my eyes slipped closed of their own accord, I was suddenly treated to absolute darkness.

_Black and yellow eyes glared fiercely as the monster came toward us. I could feel the screeches of it reverberating off my skull, the pain of it forcing me to stumble backward. Much more ferocious than it had been in battle, Rayquaza opened its mouth in a deafening roar and in it I heard a terrible voice shriek out: _

_You'll never stop it!_

_You'll never be enough!_

_It will never end!_

_And it was then that I realized the voice belonged to me._

My eyes snapped open again as the nightmare refused to leave my head, the images burnt into my retinas. "Just a bad dream," I whispered to myself as I thunked my head down onto the cool tile. I sighed before heaving myself up until I finally stood on two feet. Glancing beside me, I saw a note on the table between the couches and it was written in Tiran's hasty scrawl. Picking it up, I read.

_Hey big sis. I couldn't sleep anymore so I've gone to take down the gym without you._

_Tiran_

I shook my head at his eagerness. It was a pleasant change of pace to the rest of the world.

"Lucy!" As I heard my name being called, I snapped my head in the direction it had come from. There, leaning against the glass balcony of the Center's second floor, was Tiran, happy smile on his face. Next to him was a green haired, green eyed boy smiling and waving slightly. Waving back, I wondered where I knew him from. After a moment, I realized who it was, and smiled. Making my way to the second floor, I greeted them.

"Hey, Wally, long time no see," I said coming to stand by them.

"Not since I was still with my uncle," he agreed. Brushing his vivid hair back with a hand, he said, "I came here to help when I heard something was wrong in Sootopolis but I got here too late. I've gotten much stronger, thanks to your advice, and now I've even got all eight badges."

"Everything did happen very quickly," I nodded. "And congrats on the final badge, I was just about to leave and get mine," I told them. "Any advice?" I chuckled.

"Don't slip and fall," Tiran told me with a smirk. Wally reached over and shoved him playfully, the two obviously sharing an inside joke.

Shaking my head with a grin on my face, I said, "Thanks for the heads up." I looked at them for a moment; their joyful faces were a happy ray of light shining through the shadows of the last several days. "You know," I said, leaning against the glass balcony and looking over the first floor of the Center. "The next time we'll see each other will be on Victory Road." I glanced at them out of the corner of my eye, a playful smile tugging at my lips. "You two had better be prepared. Can't have you ruining my good reputation in front all of Hoenn, now can I?"

Tiran put a hand on Wally's shoulder. "Wally, I think we're being rated here," he said. "However I would like to take this moment to point out that Lucy is the only one of us who hasn't swept the eighth gym, and is therefore the lacking one of this group. It is _our_ good reputations that have been ruined!" The sandy haired boy couldn't keep a straight face, though, and ended up in a laughing fit. As I watched Tiran and Wally snicker, I shook my head, chuckling along.

I threw my hands up in the air. "All right, all right, I give up! But," I said, giving them a pointed look, "before I bow to your superiority, I will go snag that badge myself. _Then_ we'll see whose rep is really on the line." I punctuated the sentence by walking backwards away from them and turned on my heel. "I'll see you on Victory Road," I called back, waving a hand over my head. As I made my way to the doors of the Center, I couldn't keep the smile from my face. "See you soon, little brother," I whispered.

As I exited the doors of the Center, the view that greeted me was much different than the one the day before. The monolithic walls of the city were no longer pristine in their solidarity, their formation crumbling from the intensity of the battle. The buildings, too, had collateral damage. The beautiful thing, though, was how the community reacted.

As I made my way to the pier that connected the mainland to the Gym isle, all around me there were people rebuilding, helping, and sharing with those whose property had been damaged. It warmed me.

That warmth was soon replaced by a stony calm – the same feeling I had gotten before every Gym match since the first. The battle with Stephanie had forced a routine onto my shoulders when this particular time came around and I was grateful for it. With all that had gone on in the previous few days, I needed the tranquility that something as ordinary as a gym match could provide. I found myself at the glass doors of the Gym after only a moment and I had to stop and take a deep breath before continuing on.

_This is the last one_, I thought, a sudden pang of sadness washing over me. My hand shook as I gripped the door's handle tightly. This would be the last gym match after a long, hard journey; I was standing in the pinnacle moment of my training career and I was frozen with the thought that this would be the last Gym that I'd ever have to face. _We've come so far_, I thought proudly as images of Vexyl and Jesus popped into my head. The images were of them as they were when we started – small and unevolved, weak in body but fierce in spirit.

My Pokémon. My family.

We could do this.

I wrenched open the gym doors and let the fluorescent light blind me.

* * *

"We can wait, you know," Juan told me as he stood in the Leader box of the arena.

"I know," I said after taking a deep breath. "But I feel that I need to get this done. It's… it's the end and I just want to get it over with," I admitted when I finally looked at him.

"Oh, niña, this is not the end," he smiled. "These minutes will merely be the final words of the first _chapter_ of your book. You will have so many more moments both a like and different to this," he said, crow's feet appearing as he grinned. My lips upturned into a smile automatically.

"Yeah," I nodded, "Yeah, you're right. Thank you," I replied softly.

"Of course," he bowed his head. "But, don't think that just because I have a soft spot for brave young ones like you that I will not give you my all." He smirked. "Ready?"

"And waiting," I said back. Letting out a barking laugh, he called forth his first Pokémon, a Luvdisc.

"Luuu-disc!" the heart shaped Pokémon chirruped happily.

"All right, J, come on out," I called forth my psychic type. Jesus emerged from her Pokéball with grace, giving me a backward glance. _We're almost there, J,_ I told her mentally. There was no verbal response, aloud or otherwise, but I did feel a little warmer than before which let me know that she had projected her feelings toward me. Affection was the first thing I felt followed by overwhelming confidence. Knowing that my ballerina was so certain allowed me to be as well; I squared my shoulders as the battle finally began.

Juan's Luvdisc fell easily enough under the assault of J's powerful Shockwave and his Crawdaunt followed shortly afterward. The arrogant Kingdra he released was also an easy target for my psychic's electric move and it wasn't really until Juan released his Wiscash that we ran into problems.

"Return, J," I called as the vibrant light of the Pokéball brought her back to me. Thumbing another ball, I debated silently with myself before enlarging it in my palm.

"You have been a worthy challenger so far, young one," Juan called out in his accented tone. "However, I will not be so easily beat." He chuckled, obviously entertained by the match. I had to admit, I was also having fun with this. Gym matches had hardly ever been the most relaxing of experiences while I'd been in the Pokémon world, but this particular match up was almost serene in comparison to the others.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Juan," I called back. "You'll be handing over that badge before I'm through here." I gave him a half smile as I called forth my next Pokémon.

"Waiiiiii," Percy rumbled happily as he landed in the pool of water that made up half the battle field. Juan raised a brow.

"You use a water type Pokémon in a water Gym?" He chuckled. "This will be easier than I thought!"

I smiled calmly in return.

"Amnesia, Whis," Juan commanded his Pokémon, smile slipping from his face. My reaction had apparently been enough to set him on edge. _I've got more than electric moves up my sleeve, _I thought.

"Perce," I called to my Wailmer. "Earthquake."

As the ground beneath us began to rumble, I hastily gripped the railing around the Challenger box. As I saw the damage Juan's Pokémon was taking, I had never been more satisfied with the use of a TM. The solid parts of the battlefield began to rumble and crack around us and I could barely hear Juan as he called his next move.

"Water Pulse!" His Whiscash immediately began jettisoning a heavy stream of water at my Pokémon but I knew it wouldn't do much damage to my Wailmer; he was a sturdy thing and had the type effectiveness on his side.

"Keep up the Earthquake, Perc!" I hollered out to him. Another thunderous wave rocked the foundation below us and the water in the pool started to crash in giant waves around our Pokémon. By the time Percy's attack had finally calmed and Juan and I had stumbled back to our feet, his Whiscash was floating, passed out in the water.

"You are a surprise," he told me as he returned his Pokémon. "But I should have expected that from an outsider who has come so far."

I pursed my lips at that; I may have begun this journey as an outsider but I was ending it a tried and true Pokémon trainer. _We'll show him outsider_, I thought, knuckles going white as I clenched my hands.

"Call out your next Pokémon, Juan," I told him, ready for the battle to be over with.

"Yes, yes, of course," he bowed his head before flinging the last ball into the arena.

"Seal-eo!" his Pokémon roared out as it appeared. It's giant whiskers twitched as it took in the wreckage of the arena with a trained eye and I knew I was going to have to be careful with this battle.

"Percy, return," I recalled my Pokémon. Sliding my hand over my belt, I reattached his ball before grasping at another one. "Come on out, Nero!" As the ball returned to my hand, my Electrode spun like a top on the battlefield ready and waiting to attack his new opponent.

"Ro-rode," he grumbled, eyes narrowing in on his target.

"Spark!" I shouted just as Juan commanded his Pokémon, "Water pulse!"

The attacks whizzed past each other, the lightning of the electric move zinging around the enormous pulse of water to land on its target. Just as the Sealeo screeched from the electrocution, Nero was rammed into the side wall by the wave of water. A hairline crack fissured around his body, showing just how intensely powerful Juan's Sealeo was.

"Nero!" I shouted, trying to catch my Pokémon's attention. As the mutated Pokéball finally fixed his gaze on me, I realized that his vision was swimming hazily. _That attack really pulled one over on him_, I thought biting my lip concernedly. As Nero rolled around in confusion, hitting himself on various pieces of debris, I glanced surreptitiously out of the corner of my eye. I realized that Juan was having a similar problem with his own Pokémon. The spark that Nero had sent out had apparently paralyzed the sea lion Pokémon, much to my relief. It was also looking a little worse for wear; it was my hope that this was a sign that match was almost done. "Nero, hang in there, okay?"

"Rooooo," he crooned as he rolled himself back into position unsteadily. Juan and I locked eyes across the battlefield and the words _Spark_ and _Aurora Beam_ left our lips in the same moment; time seemed to slow as the attacks crashed against one another frenetically. It was with bated breath that we waited to see whose Pokémon rose above, my Nero or his powerful Sealeo?

As the scene cleared, the victor was obvious.

* * *

**A/N:** Um...hello? Anyone there? -cricket chirps- Right... Well, just in case anyone _is_ still reading this story, I am so, _so_ sorry it's been so long since I've updated! As I'm sure you all know from personal experience, life is kind of hectic (as in, all the time) and not much inspiration for writing. I've had the vast majority of this chapter written, but I got stuck on the final fight between Juan and Lucy. I think it's more about the fact that _this is the last Gym, y'all_, and that kind of freaked me out. It truly means that this story is coming to an end, and soon. Sadness.

At any rate, this was also the chapter with the climax of the story! What do you guys think? Too much, not enough? Feedback is the lifeblood of authors, after all!

Again, sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I do hope that whomever is still reading this enjoys the chapter.

**Reviewers who are the strawberry to my jam: **Jestie Uchiha, Prihnex, Wei Tzu, IronShonen, WyldClaw, ValroggtheInvinvible, Drewbie, EliteDog, ChaoticXXHearts, Mercedes Wolfcry, and, as always, Arrow Riddari.

I love you all. No, seriously. I do. I don't think that this story would have gotten this far without my wonderful reviewers. You keep me going, in spite of it all. Have some brownies.


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